If You Only Knew
by Annabelle Graceton
Summary: "If you only knew how I felt about you, how crazy you drove me. If you only knew that I even existed..." It's been a year since Kaley moved to New York with her best friend, Leah, and suddenly she finds herself in the chance of a life time: getting to work backstage for a two week Glee show in New York where she'll get to meet the man she fell in love with on screen: Darren Criss.
1. Chapter 1: Something's Coming

_**This is a story that I've had on my mind for a while since I'm such a big Glee fan. Hope you enjoy it and please feel free to comment. I'd love to hear what you think of it.**_

_**~ Annabelle**_

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Chapter 1 - Something's Coming

My fingers thrummed anxiously on the keys of my keyboard as I stared at the blank screen. I had been wanting to write a story for weeks now but I had been stuck with writer's block. My fingers traced the letters on the keys, hoping for some sort of inspiration. I was about to give up when my bedroom door flew open and in bounced my roommate and best friend, Leah.

"Kaley! Kaley! Kaley!" she squealed, jumping up and down with excitement. I laughed as I watched her bounce up and down, her medium brown hair whipping back and forth wildly with her movements. My lips trickled into a smile as my eyes caught the thin caramel streaks in her hair, my hand instinctively reaching up to fiddle with my own hair, which held the same coloured highlights. We had gotten them done together, one more thing that connected us and made us so close to one another.

"Leah! Leah! Leah!" I echoed back teasingly with a light chuckle, mimicking her actions by slightly bouncing in my leather computer seat.

"You will never guess what just happened!" she squealed, barely able to contain her excitement.

"What happened?" I asked, standing up and ushering her towards my bed where we both sat down. I had to move the large monkey stuffys at the end of the bed to make room for us both as my bed was not that big. My large blue comforter was another testament to how small my bed was as it drastically overhung the sides of my bed, being meant to be used on a much larger bed.

Leah just rolled her eyes at me as I gently set the monkeys on the floor. She never understood why I cared so much about them, especially being almost 21 years old, but to me they were a reminder of home. Home, where my room had been filled with so many monkeys that I had lost count of how many I actually had. But hey, what can I say? Monkeys are my favourite animal!

"Ok, so you know how Vicky had gotten me that job working backstage for _Mamma Mia_?" she began, bringing me back to the real world. She had calmed down a little, but only slightly. I nodded, fully remembering the event three months earlier, the job that she could not (or would not) stop talking about. I had been so jealous because _Mamma Mia _was one of my favourite shows ever and Leah had gotten to work backstage for it for the two weeks that it had been in New York.

"Well," she continued with a sly smirk. "Vic just called me and offered me a job working backstage again at a show next month!"

"Oh?" I felt my eyebrows raise in question. "What show?"

"Guess!" she squeaked, excitement bursting through her.

"I don't know!" I sighed, throwing my hands up in the air in frustration. My mind was already a muddled mess from my earlier writer's block and it just couldn't think of anything creative.

"You're no fun!" Leah pouted, flopping backwards so that she was lying flat out on the bed. "Come on, guess!"

"Give me a hint?" I pleaded, getting right up in her face and giving her puppy dog eyes, which I knew she couldn't resist. "Pwease?"

"Oh alright!" she laughed, pushing my face away. "Hmmmm... Well usually they tour around during the summer but instead this year they're just doing a two week show here in New York."

"That could still be anyone!" I exclaimed, flopping backwards so that I was lying beside her. "Another hint?" I turned my head slightly towards her, trying my puppy dog eyes again. She just rolled her bright blue eyes at me, shaking her head as a smile creeped onto her face.

"Hmmmmmmmm..." she mused. She made me wait in agonizing silence for a good five minutes before she finally spoke again.

"This will totally give it away, but oh well!" she laughed. "I cannot wait to see the look on your face!"

"Out with it, woman!" I cried.

"Okay," she smirked. "The love of your life is part of this group."

I gasped. Like a full, out loud gasp. My body jerked back up into a sitting position as my eyes shot wide open and my jaw dropped to the floor. Leah just laughed at me, satisfied with my reaction, all the while I was struggling to respond. I was literally speechless.

"You're working backstage for _Glee_?!" I finally managed to sputter.

"Yes!" she squealed as she sat up as well.

"Oh my gosh, you are so lucky!" I exclaimed before crossing my arms and pouting my lip. "That is so not fair!"

"How much do you love me?" Leah asked mischievously, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Why?" I replied cautiously, my brows furrowing with suspicion as I uncrossed my arms.

"How much do you love me?" she repeated.

"Leah, you're my best friend in the whole world," I sighed. "I came all the way to New York with you so that we could pursue our dreams together. I dropped everything and left everyone to come with you: my home, my family, even my freaking country! And you're asking me how much I love you?!"

All she did was nod, the same goofy smirk still on her face. I tried to glare angrily at her, but all it took was one twitch of her lips to send us both cascading into a fit of laughter. When we finally settled down again, I answered her seriously.

"Leah, you're my best friend and I love you to death," I tackled her into a hug. "Dearly, not queerly, of course."

"Of course," she laughed, hugging me back. "And now you're going to love me even more!"

"Why?" I asked, letting go of her and sitting back up.

"I got you a job too!" she squealed.

I think I died inside for a minute. I literally felt my heart stop beating.

"If you're pulling my leg, I'm gonna kill you," I warned.

"I'm dead serious!" she insisted. "No pun intended." I guess she could tell that I didn't quite believe her so she went on.

"I swear I'm not lying!" she urged me to believe her. "Kaley, in one month, you and I are going to be working backstage for _Glee_!"

"Leah, do you realize what this means!?" I exclaimed, grabbing her shoulders and giving them a light shake.

"That I get to meet Chris Colfer?" she beamed.

"No, it's even bigger than that!" I exclaimed again. "It means that I get to meet _Darren Criss_!"


	2. Chapter 2: Dreams

Chapter 2 - Dreams

The next month just flew by. The next thing I knew, I found myself standing in the _Radio City Music Hall _with Leah, my mouth gaping in wonder and disbelief as I looked around.

"If I'm dreaming, please don't pinch me," I whispered to Leah as we were ushered into a group on the stage with the other employees.

"Okay, listen up," I heard Vicky's voice call out over the group. "I'm going to call out your name and your job here for the next two weeks. I'm only going to say it once, so listen closely!" I listened intently for my name, getting more and more anxious when I didn't hear mine or Leah's name called.

"Leah Tanner," Vicky finally called out. "Laundry and costume caretaker." I felt Leah grab my hand and give it a light squeeze. To some people, laundry duty would seem menial and one of the crappiest jobs you could get, but I knew that it meant a lot to Leah because it meant that she would get to touch the clothes that Chris Colfer wore. I was slightly jealous because that meant that she got to touch the clothes that Darren Criss wore too.

Ok, I know it may sound a little creeperish, but hey I think that anyone would get excited it they were able to touch and hold something that their celebrity crush had worn.

"Alright, that's everyone," Vicky announced. "Remember, you must respect the performers. You are not to take any pictures of them unless they say that you can. Violation of this will get you fired. Understand?" A murmur of yeses rose from the group. "Good. Now if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. You are dismissed."

My heart suddenly dropped. I hadn't heard my name called. I quickly looked at Leah, hoping that I had maybe just missed it while daydreaming about Darren, but I saw an identical shocked looking expression plastered on her face. Before I could even mutter her name, I found myself being quickly dragged towards Vicky.

"Vicky," Leah called out, catching her attention. "You didn't say Kaley's name!" Vicky looked at me and I saw recognition flash through her dark blue eyes. We had met briefly back when Leah had brought me backstage after one of the _Mamma Mia_ shows. I had been her ride home, or at least that was the excuse she had given for why I was backstage. I didn't even own a car.

I watched anxiously as the tall, blonde-haired woman before me looked back down at her clipboard and flipped through a couple of pages.

"Kaley Grant," Vicky said at last, looking up at me then back down at her clipboard. "Ah yes. We don't quite have a specifically assigned job for you. You're job is basically to do whatever needs to be done, all the odd jobs."

I considered this for a minute then just shrugged.

"Okay, sure," I smiled. "I'll be the odd one."

Leah snickered at my comment saying, "You've always been a bit of an oddball!" I stuck my tongue out at her, but then realized where we were and hung my head in shame.

"Sorry," I mumbled to Vicky.

"It's okay," she laughed. "I don't have anything for you to do right now, so you can help Leah with the laundry and costumes until I do. Sound good?"

"Perfect," I smiled, feeling Leah grab my hand and give it an excited squeeze, which I returned. "Thank you."

After that, I let Leah drag me away to where we would be working. The room that she led me into was already full of costumes, which had been sent ahead of the performers.

"Alrighty," Leah announced, picking up a clipboard from one of the tables. "It looks like the first thing we're to do is take these costumes to their dressing rooms." She motioned towards the hanging racks that had multiple different outfits hanging from them. I walked over to one and fingered the tag hanging from one of the outfits. It read: _Cory Monteith - Jessie's Girl_.

"I still can't believe that I'm here right now," I commented as I moved down the rack looking at all of the different costumes. "Oh my gosh, Leah!" I had stopped before a sparkly spandex outfit. Its tag read: _Chris Colfer - Single Ladies_. Leah set the clipboard down and quickly came over to see what I was looking at, squeaking with excitement when she read the tag.

"He's doing _Single Ladies_!" she squealed, jumping up and down. I joined her in her bounciness, because I was just as excited to see Chris dance to _Single Ladies_. Before Darren Criss joined the show, Kurt had always been my favourite character. But then came Blaine and... Well let's just say that Kurt was moved to my number two favourite.

"Any problems here, ladies?" Vicky's voice came from the doorway. We instantly stopped jumping and tried to act natural, Leah picking up the clipboard again and me pulling an outfit off the rack.

"Nope, no problems," I heard Leah reply as I felt my face flush with heat.

"Kaley?" I could feel her eyes on me.

"All good," I replied, giving her a quick smile, not wanting her to see my face for long in case it was red.

"Ok then," I could hear the smile in her voice. Dang it, my face was probably red! "I'll let you get back to your work then. You have a lot of costumes to deal with."

I didn't relax until I heard Leah exhale deeply. I slowly turned around to face her and when our eyes met, we both burst out laughing.

"Okay, now we seriously need to get to work," Leah said once we had settled down again. "Do you want to take some of the costumes to the dressing rooms while I sort them into groups by each performer?"

"Sure," I shrugged, looking at the outfit still in my hands. It was a simple black dress with a red stripe around the middle. I looked at the tag and it read: _Lea Michele - Don't Rain on my Parade_. "I guess I'm going to Lea's room first." I laughed at the irony. Leah (my Leah) helped me collect a couple more of Lea's outfits, then she gave me a small card that had the order the outfits needed to be hung up in and then, after giving me directions to the dressing rooms, sent me on my way.

I quickly made my way to the dressing rooms, which were actually easier to find than I thought they would be, and found myself stopping before a door with a star that read Lea Michele on it. I knocked, just in case anyone was in the room, and, when no one answered, I turned the knob and walked in. I was not prepared for the grandeur of it.

I had done a few school shows back when I was in high school, so I was familiar with dressing rooms, but they were small and minuscule compared to the one that I stood in now. The room was bigger than mine and Leah's whole apartment. Clothing racks lined the walls. A huge vanity sat against one walls, which was surrounded by so many mirrors. The room was brightly lit by hundreds of lights.

I was finally snapped out of the awestruck state that I was in by a laugh behind me. I spun around and was surprised to find myself staring into a pair of sparkling bright blue eyes.


	3. Chapter 3: The First Time Ever I Saw

Chapter 3 - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

My eyes finally left his entrancing blue eyes and trickled down to his lips, which were turned upwards into a grin.

"You're new here, aren't you?" the lips asked. I blinked, startled by the comment, and was finally able to see who I was talking to. Leaning casually in the doorway stood a young man, probably close to my own age, with wavy, black hair that hung above his ears, one of which was pierced with a small black stud.

His arms were crossed over a plain black t-shirt and he wore a pair of ripped blue jeans. His blue eyes watched, amused, as I just stood there gaping at him. My eyes dropped to the floor in embarrassment, where I noticed the black Converse that he was wearing.

"Hello, earth to newbie," he was waving his hand, trying to get my attention.

"Whaa?" tumbled out of my mouth and I inwardly kicked myself for how stupid I sounded. He just laughed, which was deep and musical.

"How did you know I was new?" I asked when I finally found my voice again, catching him off guard.

"Very easily," he replied with a smile. "Newbies tend to stand in the very middle of rooms with their mouths hanging wide open." I felt my jaw snap shut. He just laughed again.

"The name's James Carter," he pushed away from the doorway and walked towards me, hand extended.

"Kaley Grant," I replied, taking his hand. I was expecting him to shake it, but instead he brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. I felt my cheeks flush with heat (curse my dang emotions!) as my free hand flew to my mouth to stifle a gasp.

"James!" someone called from outside the room. He quickly looked over his shoulder, then back to me, releasing my hand as he took a step away.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Grant," he grinned. "I look forward to working with you." And then he was gone, disappearing as quickly as he had appeared.

It took me a couple of minutes to compose myself before I finally remembered what I was supposed to be doing. I hung the outfits on one of the racks, making sure to hang them in the order that was written in the card. By the time that I finally returned to the room where Leah waited, twenty minutes had passed.

"Did you get lost?" Leah teased when I walked into the room.

"No, but I had a very strange encounter," I replied, dropping down into a nearby chair. I quickly told her what had happened and I noticed her stiffen when I mentioned James' name.

"What's wrong?" I asked her when I finished my tale.

"James Carter, that's what's wrong!" she snapped, startling me. "Kaley, stay away from him! He's nothing but trouble!"

"Why?" I asked, taken aback by her comments. He had seemed really sweet to me.

"Kaley, just trust me," Leah sighed, rubbing her temple. "He's just not the sort of guy that you want to get mixed up with. He's a player and to be honest? I don't trust him one bit! Seriously, you would be far better off to stay as far away from him as you can!"

Leah's comments left me feeling uneasy for the rest of the day. I was worried that I was going to run into him again as I made my journey from the laundry room to the dressing rooms and back, but the rest of the day passed by uneventfully... Well at least it did until the end of my shift.

At one point during my back and forth travels, I had put my headphones on to listen to (of course) _Glee_ songs and as I made my way towards the dressing rooms with the last few outfits, jamming out to _Don't Stop Believin'_, I felt a hand roughly grab my shoulder and spin me around. I was so startled that I nearly dropped the clothes that I held in my hands. Then I looked up into a pair of dazzling hazel eyes and I very nearly dropped them again. They were _his_ eyes.

"- hear me?" I only caught the end of his question as I pulled my earbuds from my ears.

"I'm sorry?" I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as I had no clue what he had just said.

"You're sorry?" he scoffed. "Was that a question or an apology?"

"I-I-" I stuttered, confused and taken aback by his anger.

"Forget it!" he scowled, as he began to roughly push past me. But then he stopped suddenly, turning sharply to look at what I held in my hands.

"What are you doing with those?!" he snapped, grabbing at the clothes in my hands.

"I'm-" I started to explain.

"Not only are you rude and ignorant," he cut me off. "But you're a _thief_ too!" He snatched the clothes from my hands and roughly grabbed my arm, dragging me down the hall towards the stage. He dragged me right over to where Vicky stood talking to a man I recognized as Ryan Murphy, the co-creator of _Glee_.

"I caught this little thief stealing my clothes!" he announced, pushing me towards Vicky.

"Kaley?" I heard the confusion and alarm in her voice.

"I didn't... I wasn't..." I stuttered, my heart racing. I could feel tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. Vicky just pulled me towards her and gave me a hug.

"You do realize that you are accusing one of our employees who works in the costume department, whose job it is to handle your clothing, of stealing that which she was hired to take care of?" I heard Vicky exclaim. "You accused her of stealing your clothes because you found her with them in her possession, but did you ever stop to think that maybe she was supposed to have them? Did you ever think that maybe she's taking them to your dressing room, which is her job?" I peeked out at him from the cocoon that I was still engulfed in.

"N-n-no," he stuttered, hanging his head.

"I'm ashamed of you!" Vicky scolded.

"As am I," Ryan spoke suddenly. I peeked at him and saw that he had his arms crossed and was looking at my accuser half with confusion and half with anger and disappointment.

"Just because you're famous doesn't give you the right to treat our employees this way!" Vicky continued. "Honestly, you were the last person that I would have ever expected to act like this!"

"I'm sorry," my accuser muttered, shifting uncomfortably.

"Don't say it to us," Ryan sighed. "Apologize to her." I felt Vicky turn me around to face him. I was afraid to even meet his eyes, so I kept them downcast.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. My eyes slowly raised to look at him. I was expecting to see sorrow and regret, but instead all I saw was anger and frustration. I was so startled that I couldn't even speak, so all I did was nod my head, turning my eyes away again.

"May I go now?" he asked, his question directed at Ryan and Vicky.

"Go, rest up," Ryan dismissed with a wave of his hand. "You need to be rested for the show tomorrow. I sincerely hope that there are no more problems. You may go now." I watched him as he turned on his heel and hurried away.

"You okay, Kaley?" Vicky asked, turning me back towards her. I nodded.

"May I go?" I asked softly.

"Yes, of course," she replied. "I'm sure that Leah is waiting for you."

I slowly made my way back to the laundry room, not needing to go to the dressing rooms anymore since he had taken his clothes with him. I felt numb all over, not believing what had just happened. As soon as I walked into the room, Leah was by my side.

"I heard what happened," Leah said, hugging me tightly. "Are you okay?"

"He's a jerk," I finally sputtered.

"What?" Leah asked, breaking from the hug so that she could hear me clearly.

"He's a jerk," I repeated, as I broke down crying. "_Darren Criss is a jerk_!"


	4. Chapter 4: Misery

Chapter 4 - Misery

**Darren's POV **

"Screw you!" I yelled into my phone before stabbing my finger at the end call button. I threw my phone at the seat on the other side of the limo, wanting it to be as far away from me as possible. I had never felt more hurt and dejected in all of my life. The girl that I had been in love with for almost two years had cheated on me. And it wasn't the first time either.

I furiously wiped away the tears that I could feel brimming in my eyes. I wasn't going to cry over her anymore. She had caused enough of my tears to fall since we had started dating and I was done with her. Done with her, done with all of the lying and the cheating, done with all of the fighting! It seemed like all we ever did was fight! But despite all the bad times, I still loved her. She had made me so happy... Of course I would forgive her that first time... It was a mistake, she had said. It would never happen again. And that's what she had said the next time. And the time after that. And the time after that. I just couldn't take it anymore.

They say that you are supposed to learn from your mistakes, but I guess it took five "mistakes" for me to wise up and break it off with her. It still hurt though. I loved her. I still do. But yet I hate her for that. I wish that we had never met. Then I wouldn't be sitting here alone, feeling so hurt and betrayed. I knew that Chris was probably waiting for me at the hotel. He always seems to know when something's wrong, but I just can't talk to him right now. My emotions are just too jumbled. That's why I told the driver to go to the theatre.

There's something about being in a theatre that just relaxes me. That and having a guitar in my hands. But since my guitar is at the hotel, I'll have to settle with the theatre. Going there will give me the chance to check out my dressing room and make sure that all of my outfits made it. I needed to do something to keep my mind off of her.

We finally pulled up to the theatre. I pulled my hoodie up over my head as I stepped out of the limo so that no one would recognize me. It was already getting dark out, which helped disguise me as I slipped into the building, stopping only once to show my ID to the guard on duty.

Once inside, I let my hood down and shook out my short, curly brown hair. It felt weird having it short. I missed having it long. I couldn't help but smile as I thought back on my _A Very Potter Musical _days. My hair had been so long then. That felt like the real me. I slowly ran my fingers through my short unruly hair. At least there wasn't any hair gel in it right now. It felt free, not held down and constricted... Like how my heart felt. I let out a heavy sigh. I needed to find my dressing room.

Looking around, I didn't see anyone. It was getting late, but surely someone must still be here who can show me where my dressing room is. I slowly started to make my way down the hallway before me. I passed a door that read: Stage Door, but I continued past it. I didn't want to go to the stage. I continued along down the hall, almost running into a girl with light brown hair who very suddenly appeared before me. The door she had exited from clicked shut as it closed behind her. She quickly made her way down the hallway, kind of oblivious to the fact that she had almost run into me.

"Excuse me, miss!" I called out after her. She didn't stop. I felt my eyebrows furrow with confusion. Why didn't she stop?

"Miss!" I called out again, starting towards her. "Excuse me, miss, can I talk to you?" Again she ignored me. Then I just kind of snapped. Who was this chick that she would just totally ignore me? I had been polite when I called for her, yet she continued to be ignorant and rude towards me, not even acknowledging that I was there. I felt anger boiling inside of me as I quickly caught up to her and grab her shoulder, turning her towards me.

"You almost ran into me and then wouldn't stop when I called after you. Did you not hear me?" I demanded. She just looked at me oddly, her deep brown eyes wide as they stared back at me.

"I'm sorry?" she furrowed her eyebrows at me. I don't know why but her response irked me. It was not the kind of apology I was expecting.

"You're sorry?" I scoffed. "Was that a question or an apology?"

"I-I-" she just stuttered, which just continued to irk me.

"Forget it!" I scowled frustratedly. All I wanted to do was just find my dressing room and be alone and this brown haired girl was doing nothing but irritating me. I moved to pass her, kind of bumping into her harder than I expected to, when I suddenly noticed what she held in her hands. I stopped and quickly turned towards her, staring hard at what she was holding. It was _my_ clothes.

"What are you doing with those?!" I demanded, grabbing at my clothes. Then it hit me. She was stealing my clothes!

"I'm-" she started but I cut her off.

"Not only are you rude and ignorant," I huffed. "But you're a _thief_ too!" I quickly took my clothes from her hands, then grabbed her arm, tightly so that she couldn't get away, deciding that I would report this thief to whomever was in charge. I quickly pulled her along back towards the stage door I had seen earlier. I spotted Ryan right away talking to a tall blonde woman who looked like they might be in charge, so I took the girl over to them.

"I caught this little thief stealing my clothes!" I announced, pushing her towards the woman.

"Kaley?" the woman sounded confused and alarmed, which made me feel the same way, especially when I realized that she knew the girl's name.

"I didn't... I wasn't..." the girl stuttered. She kind of sound scared... She actually almost sounded like she was about to cry. The woman just grabbed the girl and hugged her, which surprised me even more.

"You do realize that you are accusing one of our employees who works in the costume department, whose job it is to handle your clothing, of stealing that which she was hired to take care of?" the woman exclaimed. "You accused her of stealing your clothes because you found her with them in her possession, but did you ever stop to think that maybe she was supposed to have them? Did you ever think that maybe she's taking them to your dressing room, which is her job?" I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment as I realized what she had said. I had accused the costume manager of stealing my clothes. I now felt even more worse than I had before I had walked into the theatre.

"N-n-no," I felt myself stutter as I hung my head in shame. I couldn't bear to look at Ryan. I could just feel the disappointment and shame emanating from him.

"I'm ashamed of you!" the woman scolded me.

"As am I," Ryan said suddenly, which made me feel even worse. Disappointing Ryan was something that I had never wanted to do. I felt horrible.

"Just because you're famous doesn't give you the right to treat our employees this way!" the woman continued. "Honestly, you were the last person that I would have ever expected to act like this!"

"I'm sorry," I muttered. I was starting to feel very uncomfortable standing there under their disappointing glares.

"Don't say it to us," Ryan sighed. "Apologize to her." I looked up at the girl who was now turned towards me. She kept her head down, as if she were afraid of me. I felt anger bubbling in me again as I stared at her. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be in this mess right now.

I didn't really want to apologize to her, but I could feel Ryan and the woman watching me intently, so I finally said "I'm sorry," again, this time directed towards the girl.

As soon as the words fell from my lips, her head slowly rose and her eyes fell on mine. Her face suddenly changed to a shocked expression and she quickly looked away, nodding her head as she did. I suddenly felt bad as I realized that my anger must have shown on my face and that she would have seen it. Truthfully, I knew that it wasn't her fault. I was the one who had acted out. I was just so frustrated and angry and I had taken it all out on her.

That was when I noticed it. The white wires of head phones hanging over the edge of the neckline of her shirt. She had had earbuds in. That's why she hadn't heard me. I suddenly felt like I wanted to be sick.

"May I go now?" I asked Ryan, wanting to get as far away as I could.

"Go, rest up," he replied with a wave of his hand. "You need to be rested for the show tomorrow. I sincerely hope that there are no more problems. You may go now."

As soon as he had finished talking, I turned on my heel and hurried away. I didn't care where I was going. All I care about was getting away.

I walked blindly through the back hallways of the theatre. People whispered as I passed by them. Apparently news travelled fast here. It seemed like everyone already knew about what had happened. I finally happened upon a door with wording that I recognized. Inside the star hanging on the door it read: _Darren Criss_. At that moment, I couldn't help but think that it should be replaced with: _The Biggest A-Hole of Life_. Because that was how I felt right then.

I quickly turned the doorknob and slipped into the room. The racks around the room were filled with my clothes. I looked down at the ones that I still held in my hands and felt sick. I quickly threw them away from me, disgusted by them. Disgusted by myself. Then I actually felt like I was going to be sick. I ran into the small room that was adjoined to mine, praying that it was a bathroom, which it was, and soon emptied my stomach into the toilet bowl. As I flushed the toilet, I heard a knock at the door.

"Go away!" I yelled at it. But it didn't listen. Instead, all it did was open to reveal Chris and many of our fellow cast mates. His bright, understanding glasz eyes connected with mine and in that silent exchange I knew that he knew about what had happened.

Within seconds, they were all huddled around me and my eyes were overflowing with tears, tears that were, for once, not over her.


	5. Chapter 5: Jar Of Hearts

_A/N: I just wanted to thank **GleekStarKid** for commenting :) I'm glad that you like my story. I've been writing on another site and I forgot to post my new chapters on here, so expect quite a few new chapters coming shortly :-p Enjoy!_

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Chapter 5 - Jar of Hearts

**Darren's POV**

I don't fully remember how I got there, but somehow my friends had managed to get me outside and into the limo where we were soon headed on our way back to our hotel. Chris didn't say anything. He just sat there beside me and gently rubbed my back. It was comforting and I found myself feeling so grateful to have a friend like him. Playing boyfriends on the show had really caused us to have a deeper connection and friendship with one another and I knew that I could always depend on Chris to be there for me.

Across the limo, I caught Lea exchanging glances with Chris. It was so obvious that they both wanted to ask about what had happened, to hear my side of the story, but they were kind enough not to ask. Well at least not yet anyways.

I buried my head in my hands, wishing I could just burrow down into some dark hole and just stay there. I don't think that I had ever been that mean to someone. I felt horrible. My stomach churned as her shocked and scared expression flickered through my mind again. She had actually been afraid of me.

"I think I'm going to be sick," I mumbled. I felt Chris stiffen beside me and when I peeked through my fingers I could see him shifting his feet away. Typical Chris. He didn't want to ruin his shoes.

A small metal garbage can suddenly appeared before me and I felt inclined to look up and thank Lea for it. I gave her a halfhearted smile and a mumbled thanks before turning my eyes back down. Luckily, I did not get sick again.

I felt the limo slow to a stop and felt Lea and Chris grab my arms and help me out of the car. A bright flash nearly blinded me and I groaned. _Paparazzi_.

I brought my arm up to shield my face. I didn't want them to see that I had been crying. I felt Lea hook her arm through my free one and lead me through the crowd of camera-wielding people, Chris staying just as close, trying to shield me from the camera's flashes as best as he could. As soon as we got inside the hotel, I felt like I wanted to collapse.

"Not here," Chris' high, musical voice whispered in my ear. I nodded, then let them lead me into the elevator and up to our room. Chris slid his key into the card reader and opened the door for us, turning on the light switches as he walked into the room.

It wasn't an overly huge room, but it was still larger than the average sized hotel room. Of course management would try to give us the best that they could. I personally could care less about the size or the grandeur of the room. I was fine with just simple things.

I stumbled away from Lea and crashed onto one of the large beds. I wished that this whole night had just been one bad nightmare, but when I peeked open my eyes, both Chris and Lea were watching me intently, which told me that it had all happened. I groaned as I hid my face again.

"Ok, you can either continue lying there, moaning and groaning and feeling bad about yourself," Chris sighed. "Or you can sit up and tell us exactly what happened." I knew that I would have to face their questions eventually, so, with a huge sigh, I sat up and told them everything that had happened.

"I keep seeing her face in my mind," I shook my head, as if I could just shake the bad thoughts out. "She was so scared and I feel horrible! I don't know why I was such a jerk! I just snapped, I guess, and she just happened to be there when it happened."

"I told you that Vanessa was no good for you!" Chris sighed. "If you had just listened to me and broken up with her that first time, then you wouldn't be in this mess! That girl was nothing but trouble! I'm sorry to say I told you so, but I told you so."

"I know," I sighed as well, running my fingers through my hair. "I just didn't want to accept the fact that our relationship was going down the drain. I loved her. And now I feel like my heart's been ripped out and stepped on repeatedly."

"It'll be okay, Darren," Lea said as she came and sat beside me, giving me a tight hug. "Time heals all wounds. I know that's a cliche thing to say, but it's true. Remember how heartbroken I was when Nathaniel left me?"

I nodded. That had been one of the hardest times in Lea's life. She had basically just sat around her apartment all day, watching sappy movies and eating ice cream. It had taken Chris and I a while to break her out of the funk that she was in, but we finally did, and soon she was back to her perky, usual self.

"Well I did finally get over him and move on," Lea continued. "People are going to hurt you in life, but you've just got to keep your head up because things will get better."

"Here," Chris plopped a phone book down on my lap. I looked down at it and the first thing I read was_ Ivona's Flower Shop. _

"Flowers?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Yep," he smiled. "And a great big note that says '_Sorry that I was such a jerk. Let me make it up to you._'"

"I don't think flowers will make it up to her," I sighed. "I was a real jerk."

"Well, flowers are a start anyways," Chris shrugged as he sat down beside me. "I know that flowers always cheer me up."

"Thanks, Chris," I smiled. "And you too, Lea. I'm so glad that I have friends like you."

"Hey, that's what friends are for," Lea smiled, hugging me again.

"Of course," Chris smiled, hugging me as well. "Friends are always there for each other." I smiled as I was sandwiched in a hug between them, a tear pricking my eye, but unlike all the others that I had shed that night, this tear was a happy one.

"But you know," Chris suddenly spoke up. "If you're still in a rough mood, I wouldn't be opposed to watching a sappy chick flick." I laughed. Of course he wouldn't be.

"Go ahead, put something on," I laughed. Chris leapt up from the bed happily as he skipped over to check what movies we had brought. After a couple of minutes he came back with a DVD case in his hands.

"Okay, so this isn't a sappy chick flick," he said as he sat back down. "But I thought it'd be a better movie for cheering you up." He handed the case to me and I couldn't help but smile as I read the word _Tangled_.

"You know me too well," I chuckled. "Alright, _Tangled_ it is!" I stood up and went to the tv to put the movie on. Soon I was back snuggled between my two best friends watching one of my favourite movies with my heart slowly but surely starting to feel less and less heavy as the night went on.

I felt my eyelids slowly starting to droop as the song _I See The Light_ started to play. The last thing I remember was the sweet, musical voices of Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi singing, _"All at once, everything is different, now that I see you."_


	6. Chapter 6: Lean On Me

Chapter 6 - Lean on Me

**Kaley's POV **

As soon as we got back to our apartment, I quickly locked myself in our small bathroom. I appreciated Leah's comforting presence, but I desperately needed a couple of minutes alone. I put the lid of the small white toilet down so that I could sit on it, quickly bringing my legs up, my heels resting gently on the corner of the lid, so that my arms could wrap around them and I could bury my face in my knees.

A part of me wanted to cry again, but something held me back from doing so. As I reflected back on what had happened, I found myself becoming more and more angry. Who was this _Darren Criss_ to treat me, or anybody really, in such a way? I quickly pulled my phone out of my pocket, Darren Criss' picture illuminating on the screen as it woke up, and I suddenly found myself staring at the picture.

It was one of my favourite pictures of him. He was slightly turned away so that his back was to the camera in a beach like setting. He had no shirt on and his head was tilted down like as if he was looking at something on the ground, or like as if he was just lost in thought. I loved the picture because it seemed so natural.

I felt the sudden urge to delete the photo, but in the end I couldn't bring myself to do it. Though he had been the biggest jerk of life, I still liked him. I had had a huge crush on him as soon as he had appeared on the show as Blaine.

Well, technically I had seen him as Harry Potter in the _Starkid_'s musical, _A Very Potter Musical_, on _YouTube_ before seeing him on _Glee_, loving his quirky facial expressions and beautiful voice, but when he sang on_ Glee_, my heart just imploded with happiness. He had one of the most beautiful singing voices that I had ever heard in my life. I was completely entranced by his voice whenever he sang. There was just something so magical about it (haha magical! Get it? Cause he played Harry Potter! ... Wow that was lame) and it just made me instantly happy whenever I heard one of his songs. But right now, hearing his voice was the last thing that I wanted.

"Kaley?" Leah's voice was hesitant as she lightly knocked on the door.

"I just need a minute," I told her, burying my face in my knees again.

"Do you want me to put some popcorn on, maybe set up a movie?" she asked.

"I don't know," I sighed. I wasn't really in the mood to watch anything.

"Come on," she sighed. "I'll put on _Tangled_ if you want." I smiled. She knew me too well. _Tangled_ was one of my favourite _Disney_ movies.

"Alright, fine," I replied. "I'll watch _Tangled_."

My mind suddenly conjured an image of a scene in the movie but with me replacing Rapunzel and Darren replacing Flynn Rider where I smacked him in the face with a frying pan. Hard. I smiled at the image. But then a different scene took over. Rapunzel/me and Flynn/Darren in a boat on the water, surrounded by floating lights, about to kiss. I smacked my head, trying to dislodge the image from my mind, but it wouldn't go away.

"I don't really want to watch _Tangled_ anymore," I sighed. "Can we watch a movie that doesn't involve falling in love?"

When I finally emerged from the bathroom I found Leah curled up on our old blue couch in the living room, a bowl of popcorn sitting in her lap.

"I popped us each our own bowl," she said, pointing to another bowl on the small coffee table. "I didn't want to share cause I'm hungry!"

"More for me!" I laughed as I picked up the bowl and sat down beside her. "So what movie did you pick?"

"Well, since you don't want to watch _Tangled_ for some odd reason," she gave me an inquiring look, but I just shook my head. "Well, I picked two of your other favourite _Disney_ movies instead." She held up two DVD cases. One was _Pocahontas_ and the other was the 2003 version of _Peter Pan_.

"I said no love stories," I whined.

"Well, technically they aren't cause Pocahontas and John Smith don't end up together in the end and Wendy leaves Peter and returns to London while he stays in Neverland," Leah argued. "Hey, it was the best I could do considering the fact that half of your movie library is made up of love stories!"

"I guess you're right," I sighed, slouching down into the couch. "Put on _Peter Pan_. I'd rather watch the girl leave the guy than the guy leave the girl."

"Alrighty," she smiled, getting up to put the movie on. When she sat back down, I pulled up a blanket to cover both of us. I leaned my head on her shoulder as the movie started and I heard her quietly start to hum _Lean on Me_. I smiled and began to hum along with her. Pretty soon we were both belting out the chorus to the song, not caring about how thin the walls were and that our neighbours might hear us singing.

As we sang the last line of the song, I felt tears pricking my eyes.

"Thank you," I whispered to her as I dabbed at my eyes with the corner of the blanket.

"That's what friends are for," she replied, giving me a hug. "Now hush! Peter's about to teach them how to fly!" I smiled as I turned my attention back on the TV screen and watched Jeremy Sumpter in his leafy outfit try to teach the three Darling children how to fly.

I felt my eyes starting to drift close and as I entered into my dreamworld that night, I dreamt that Peter Pan was coming to take me away to Neverland where I would never have to grow up or deal with such confusing things like _love_.


	7. Chapter 7: I Don't Want To Know

_A/N: I would like to just take a second to thank all of you who have commented and subscribed to this story:**  
**_

_**Therese92  
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_**GleekStarKid  
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_**blonde on the inside  
**_

_**Storm229  
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_**finnick whoredair  
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_**Ilikemutemath  
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_I'm really glad that you all like my story :) Thank you so much for your comments. You have no idea how much they mean to me or how good they make me feel. Even a simple comment saying what you did or didn't like helps me as a writer to grow and be better and to become more confident in myself and my writing. Thank you._

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Chapter 7 - I Don't Want To Know

**Kaley's POV**

"I am so over Darren Criss," I declared to Leah as I hung a bright red, leather, _Michael Jackson _jacket up on the rack. The last few remaining outfits for the show had arrived earlier this morning and Leah and I had busied ourselves for the past hour with sorting through the large pile and hanging up the various outfits in their respective groups.

"Sure you are," Leah rolled her bright blue eyes at me as she hung up a black leather jacket. "Then let me _delete_ his picture from your phone..." She started to reach from my small Blackberry that was sitting on the table, but I quickly half dove across the table and grabbed it before she could.

"No!" I exclaimed, hugging it protectively to my chest, turning my body slightly away from her to shield it from her view as if that would protect it even more.

"I thought that you said that you were _over_ him," she teased, crossing her arms over her chest, a light smile spreading across her lips.

"Oh, be quiet," I rolled my eyes at her as I slid off of the table and righted myself. My eyes caught on the illuminated picture of Darren on the screen before I slid it into my pocket.

As much as I hated him right now, I just couldn't ignore the fact that I had had a huge crush on him for the past couple years, because a crush like that is not something that you can just get over in the blink of an eye.

"I can't help it," I sighed. "He has such an amazing voice! It's like... _hypnotic _or something. I hear it and I just can't help but love him even more, even if he is a jerk."

"I know what you mean," Leah sighed dreamily. "That's how I feel when I hear Chris' voice. It's just so... _magical_! It makes my heart flutter every time he sings!" She let out a deep, heavy sigh. "If only he wasn't..." She bent her hand at a 45 degree angle and I laughed.

"I know what you mean," I replied. "He has such an amazing voice. That's why he was my favourite before _you-know-who _came along..." I let out another disheartened sigh. I had been rejected by guys before, but this one hurt so much more because it had been him. Him, the one whose songs I listened to night and day, the one whose picture was saved on every single one of my electronic devices, the one who broke my heart like no one else had ever done before.

_Maybe I should delete his picture,_ I thought, reaching for my phone._ It'll be a start at least..._

"Hey Kaley," Leah interrupted my thoughts. I looked up at her to see her holding out another black, leather, _Michael Jackson_ jacket to me. Around the left sleeve I noticed a silver band and I instantly recognized it as the jacket that Blaine wore in the number _Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'. _

"Can you hang this up?" she raised her eyebrows at me challengingly, knowing very well whose jacket it was. I just rolled my eyes as I reached out and took it from her.

"Yeah, whatever," I retorted as I turned away from her and scanned the racks before me.

We had organized all of the costumes onto racks for each of the actors, which were all lined up in neat little rows. I quickly found Darren's rack, which was a couple of rows back, and made my way towards it.

"Oh!" I heard Leah exclaim as I hung the jacket on the rack.

I turned around, the word "What?" ready to fall from my lips, but I stopped myself as I heard another voice start to speak.

"Are you Kaley Grant?" a high, musical voice asked. Though the racks hid my view of who was speaking, I could instantly tell who it was. I carefully snuck to the end of the row and peeked out. Sure enough, there standing in the doorway was none other than _Chris Colfer_.

A light smile hung on his perfect lips as he stood there patiently, and I gazed in awe upon his beauty. His light brown hair was styled perfectly (as usual), matching his stylish, blue-vested outfit which made his bright glasz eyes stand out even more than they usually did. I felt my jaw drop as I stared at him. Then it hit me. Chris Colfer was _here_ and he was looking for _me_!?

I was about to step out from my hiding place when I realized that Chris was not alone. Right behind him stood the last person that I wanted to see right now: _Darren Criss_.

"That's not her," he sighed, scratching his curly head with his free hand as the other one was holding a bright bouquet of flowers.

"No, I'm not Kaley," Leah finally spoke up, finding her voice again. "But she-" She looked back at where she knew I was and our eyes locked. I quickly shook my head, telling her that I didn't want to see him. She nodded very slightly before turning back to the guys.

"But she's actually not here right now," Leah continued. "She had a _rough night _last night, so she's not coming in until later." I winced slightly at Leah's words, even though they were true... Well, half true at least. Last night had been a rough one.

My eyes flickered back to Darren and I was surprised by what I saw. He looked absolutely stricken, sorrow and pain lancing through his heavy hazel eyes. His shoulders slumped as if the weight of the world had just been put on them.

"Now what?" he asked as he turned to Chris. Chris brought his hand up to stroke his chin as he thought, his eyes catching on Leah as he looked around the room and realization suddenly flashed through them.

"Oh, where are my manners!" he exclaimed, walking towards her and holding out his hand. "I'm Chris Colfer."

"I can see that," Leah replied, taking his hand. "I mean-I mean I know. I know who you are." Then she bowed to him and I almost burst out laughing as I realized what she was doing. Once she finished the bow, which caught Chris off guard and left a surprised look on his face, Leah proceeded to move very close to him, uncomfortably close, and whisper something to him. Although I couldn't hear what she was saying, I was sure that I could guess what it was.

"I just want to let you know," I could subconsciously hear her voice in my head. "Nobody has talent but you, none of the new artists."

When she pulled away, I noticed the huge smile on Chris' face.

"You've seen my _Lady Gaga _interview with _Ellen_," he laughed. A smile spread across Leah's face.

"Maybe once or twice," she admitted, blushing. "I told myself that if I ever got to meet you that I would have to do that to you."

"Well, I'm glad you did," he smiled. "It made my day."

"Well, that just made my day then," Leah replied. "This is so surreal."

"Umm, you can let go of my hand now..." Chris lightly chuckled. Leah looked down at their still clasped hands and quickly let go.

"Sorry," she mumbled, hanging her head. "I honestly didn't mean to do that..."

"No worries," he smiled. "Miss...?"

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Tanner, Leah Tanner."

"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Leah Tanner," he gave her a small bow. I knew that she must be freaking out inside but she did really well at remaining seemingly calm.

"The pleasure is all mine, Mister Chris Colfer," she beamed. Darren took that moment to step forward.

"Hi Leah, I'm Darren Criss," he said, extending his hand towards her.

"Yes, I know who _you_ are," she glared at him, but then slowly reached out and took his hand. "I'm Kaley Grant's _best friend_." She let his hand drop as she let go, letting her words sink in. His face paled and his eyes widened.

"Please, let me explai-" he started, but Leah cut him off.

"You don't have to explain anything to me," she snapped. "Kaley's the one who should get some answers." She lowered her voice before continuing.

"You hurt her, you know," she said softly. "Do you have any idea what it's like to meet your hero and then to have them basically rip your heart out and step on it repeatedly?" Darren cringed at her words.

"I feel horrible," he replied, hanging his head. "I was having a bad day and I took it out on her. I don't know what happened. I just... snapped, you know?" He sighed as he looked back up, running his fingers through his short, curly hair.

"I never meant to hurt her," he continued. "Honestly, if there was any way that I could take it all back, I would. That was probably the cruelest that I've ever been in my entire life and I cannot stop kicking myself for my actions. When I realized what I had done, I felt sick to my stomach. I know that there is no way that I can ever make it up to her, but I'm willing to try. Could you give these to her when she gets in?" He held out the flowers to her.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of my hiding place.

"That won't be necessary."


	8. Chapter 8: Isn't She Lovely?

Chapter 8 - Isn't She Lovely?

**Darren's POV**

She appeared out of no where, the sudden sound of her voice surprising me. I felt Chris shift beside me and suddenly his voice was speaking in my ear.

"Wow, she's a cutie," he whispered, letting out a low whistle. "You never said that she was cute." His comment caught me off guard and I was left speechless. I blinked my eyes repeatedly as I looked at him, my eyebrows furrowing questioningly, before I looked back at her. As I looked at her, I realized that she was pretty cute and I instantly felt even worse.

I hadn't noticed before how pretty her light brown, carmel streaked hair was, or how nicely it framed her tanned face, which held beautiful, bright brown eyes that were currently glaring at me.

"You must be Kaley," Chris chimed in before I could say anything. He smoothly walked over to her and held out his hand to her. "I'm Chris Colfer."

"It's an honour to meet you," she smiled as she took his hand. "You have an _amazing_ voice and are so talented. Honestly, the majority of my favourite songs on the show are ones that you do because I just love hearing your voice."

"Oh, why thank you!" he blushed, looking back at me and mouthing, "I like her!"

"You are too sweet," he continued, turning back to her. "But speaking of _sweet people_, there's someone here who would like to say something to you." He started to move away to turn her attention onto me, but then he stopped suddenly and whispered something in her ear. He gently patted her shoulder and gave her a light smile before moving away. Her eyes were warm and light as they looked at Chris, but turned cold and hard as they fell back on me.

"Th-these are for you," I stuttered, holding out the flowers to her. She did not move, but rather remained firmly planted where she stood, her arms crossed over her chest. I noticed her shoulders stiffen slightly when I started talking but I couldn't stop. I had to let her know how I felt.

"Please," I sighed, taking a step towards her. "I'm so sorry. I don't think that I can ever say that enough to convey how sorry I am. I was a jerk to you and you didn't deserve it. There is no excuse for my actions. Having a bad day does not justify what I did to you and I can only hope that you will someday be able to forgive me." I noticed her shoulders slowly starting to relax as I spoke and when I finished, she stepped closer to me and took the flowers from my hands.

"Thank you," was all she said as she turned away from me. I thought that that was an indication that I should go, so I turned to leave, but Chris grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"Wait," he whispered, pointing back towards Kaley. I turned back and watched as she gently set the flowers down on the table behind her before turning back to us.

She looked at me and took a deep breath.

"I forgive you," she said.

"You do?" I was surprised.

"Yes, I forgive you," she repeated. "I forgive you, but I don't trust you. You_ hurt _me, Darren, more than you could ever know."

"I know," I hung my head. "I did not expect you to forgive me, but I'm very thankful that you did. I only wish that I could find a way to earn back your trust. I feel horrible about what happened. Is there any way that I can make it up to you?"

"I don't know," she sighed, leaning back against the table.

"Well, when you think of something, please let me know, okay?" I replied, reaching into my pocket and pulling out my small notepad and pen that I carried around in case I got inspiration for a song. I quickly flipped it open and scribbled my number down. I ripped the page out and handed it to her.

"Here," I said, urging her to take it. She slowly reached out and took it from my hand. Our fingers briefly touched and I felt a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach before she quickly drew her hand away. Her eyebrows furrowed in question as she looked at it, but then realization flashed across her face.

"Are you _serious_?" her voice was a barely audible whisper.

"Of course," I smiled for the first time. "Let me know if you need anything, okay? Anything I can do for you, anything at all."

"Ok, yeah," she stuttered. "Thanks."

"Can I borrow that?" Chris asked, plucking the notepad from my hand. He quickly jotted something down on it, then ripped the page out and handed it to Leah.

"I look forward to talking with you girls again," he smiled, giving them a little _wiggling fingers _wave before he turned and looped his arm through mine and proceeded to pull me out of the room. I chanced a glance back at the girls as he pulled me out the door and I smiled as I saw Kaley's eyes soften and a smile spread across her lips. And then they were gone from my sight.

"From zero to ten, how well would you say that went?" I asked, turning my head towards Chris as we walked down the hallway.

"For you, I would say about an 8.5," Chris smiled. "But for me, that was a perfect 10. Those girls were so sweet! I can't believe that you could be so mean to someone like _her_!"

"Hey!" I exclaimed, stopping and turning towards him. "I thought that you were on my side!"

"Key word there, "_were_"," Chris shrugged. I felt my mouth drop open in shock, the pure emotion of hurt plastering all over my face.

"Darren, I'm _kidding_!" he laughed, giving me a light, playful shove. "And there's no real "side" here to take anyways. What happened was just an unfortunate misunderstanding. Kaley seems like a smart girl. I'm sure that things will smooth over between you two in no time."

"You really think so?" I asked, hopeful.

"Oh Darren, honey," Chris sighed. "Sometimes you can be just as _oblivious_ as Blaine is." With that, he turned and started to walk away from me.

I stood there for a moment, letting his words sink in, before I snapped my head up and called out after him, "Wait! What do you mean by oblivious?"


	9. Chapter 9: Hey, Soul Sister

_A/N: Thank you to** Potterheadgleekmsdarrencriss**,** kawaii01**, and** Ilikemutemath **for your comments :) I am so thrilled that you guys are enjoying this story! :)_

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Chapter 9 - Hey, Soul Sister

**Kaley's POV**

I couldn't breath. A part of me couldn't believe that that had actually just happened.

"Kaley," Leah's voice called my attention to her. I slowly turned towards her and found her to be in the exact same state as I was. Her eyes were wide with disbelief and her mouth was hanging open in shock. In her hands she delicately held the paper that Chris had given her.

"Kaley, I'm gleeking out right now," she eeked, staring down at the paper. I looked back down at the paper in my hands and my eyes flittered over the digits there again.

Darren Criss had just given me his_ number_!

I didn't know how to feel. A part of me was still mad at him, even though I had forgiven him, while another part was freaking out, excited by the fact that he had given me something that I had wanted for years. And yet there was still another part of me that was actually _scared_ of him, scared of his hostile actions when we first met, scared of the anger that I had seen in his eyes. It was not the ideal first meeting that I had expected.

But then again, a part of me still swooned when he was nearby, my heart pounding rapidly when he spoke, practically stopping when his soft eyes fell on me. I couldn't deny the fact that I was still hardcore crushing on him.

_I will just have to tread carefully around him,_ I decided.

"Kaley?" Leah brought my attention back to her. "Did you not hear me? I'm _gleeking_ out!"

"Leah..." I replied slowly, turning back to her, a smile slowly creeping onto my lips. "I think I just _gleeked _all over the place!" A smile plastered across Leah's face as she laughed. I had made that comment before after hearing Darren sing _Sorry For Party Rocking _at the _MMVA_s when he had hit the last high, beautiful note. We had both freaked out while watching it on TV and then I had made my fateful comment, for which now Leah would not stop teasing me about. Eventually, we turned it into our own little joke, gleeking out and gleeking all over the place.

"If I'm dreaming, please don't pinch me," I begged once we had stopped laughing. "This is too nice of a dream to wake up from."

"It's not a dream, Kaley," Leah squeaked. "It's real! It's all real! Kaley, we now have Darren Criss' and Chris Colfer's phone numbers!"

"Then why are we currently not frantically trying to add them to our phones?" I asked with a light smirk. Leah looked at me and our eyes locked. We simultaneously pulled our phones out of our pockets and quickly began to insert the numbers into them, briefly trading papers so that we could added the other's number too.

"I want that back," Leah pointed at the paper that was now in my hand. Of course she would. It was Chris' page.

"Only if I get that one back," I replied, pointing at the one in her hand.

"Deal," she laughed, handing me her page as I did the same.

"We're kind of ridiculous sometimes," I commented, folding the paper and tucking it into my backpocket. "You know that, right?" She just smiled at me.

"Would you have us any other way?" she asked playfully.

"Never," I smiled back.

"Kaley!" a familiar voice called my name. I turned around and smiled at Vicky as she walked in the door.

"Hi Vicky," we both greeted her warmly.

"Is everything okay here?" she asked, looking back over her shoulder at the door, implying that she must have passed the boys on her way here.

"Yep," I nodded. "Everything's _perfect_." I winked at Leah and she clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle, catching on to my Klaine (or as we liked to call them, Blurt) song reference.

"Ok then..." Vicky smiled, looking back at me. "Kaley, I have a new job for you."

"Oh..." I exclaimed kind of sadly, looking over at Leah. I had been enjoying myself helping her here.

"You can still help out here whenever you're not needed elsewhere," Vicky reassured me, noticing my reaction.

"Oh, okay then," I smiled. "So what do you need me for?"

"Here," she handed a small stack of papers to me. "I need you to hang these up in each of the dressing rooms, as well as in the wings, green room, and black box. And anywhere else that you think it should be put up." I looked down at the papers in my hands and gasped.

"Set list!?" I exclaimed, reading the words on the top of the page.

"Yes, in case the performers forget the order of the show," Vicky nodded. "Do you think you can handle that?"

"Yes, ma'am!" I saluted.

"Good," she smiled, handing me a roll of tape before turning away. "If you need me, I'll be Stage Right." And with that she was gone and Leah was by my side in an instant, eagerly trying to look at the papers in my hands.

"Let me see! Let me see!" she pleaded, grabbing at the papers.

"Settle your jets!" I laughed, holding the papers up out of her reach. "Settle..."

"Alright! Alright!" she huffed, crossing her arms and pouting her lip for a moment before taking a deep breath and putting a smile on her face. "See? I'm calm." She uncrossed her arms and placed them on her hips, giving me an expression that said, "Well? What are you waiting for?" I laughed at her childish expressions and brought the papers back down so that she could see them. Together we quickly read over the set list.

Set List

1) _Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'_

- Blaine, Kurt, Santana, Brittany, Mercedes, Tina, Rachel, Quinn, Finn, Mike, Puck, Sam, & Artie

2) _Jessie's Girl_

- Finn

3) _Dinosaur_

- Brittany & Cheerios

4) _For Good_

- Rachel & Kurt

5) _Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)_

- Mercedes, Santana, Brittany, & Cheerios

6) _Lucky_

- Sam & Quinn

7) _Hot For Teacher_

- Puck, Finn, Mike, & Blaine

8) _Don't Rain on my Parade_

- Rachel

9) _Perfect_

- Kurt & Blaine

10) _I'm Still Standing_

- Artie & Quinn

11) _Love Shack_

- Blaine, Mercedes, Kurt, Rachel, & Brittany

12) _Not The Boy Next Door_

- Kurt, Tina, Brittany, & Mercedes

13) _Pretending_

- Finn & Rachel

14) _Light Up The World_

- Santana, Artie, Brittany, Quinn, Rachel, Finn, Puck, Kurt, Blaine, Tina, Mike, Mercedes, & Sam

~ Intermission ~

15) _Born This Way_

- Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, Brittany, Blaine, Puck, Artie, Mike, Quinn, Finn, Rachel, Santana, & Sam

16) _Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead_

- Rachel & Kurt

17)_ It's Not Unusual_

- Blaine & Cheerios (including Santana)

18) _Single Ladies_

- Kurt, Brittany, & Tina (with dancers)

19) _Don't You Want Me_

- Blaine & Rachel

20) _Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)_

- Blaine, Kurt, Mike, Tina, Artie, Brittany, Santana, Quinn, Rachel, Finn, Puck, Mercedes, & Sam

21) _Need You Now_

- Rachel & Puck

22) _We Are Young_

- Rachel, Finn, Sam, Quinn, Mike, Tina, Artie, Puck, Blaine, Kurt, Mercedes, Santana, Brittany

23) _I'm The Greatest Star_

- Kurt

24) _Get It Right_

- Rachel, Brittany, Tina, Mercedes, & Quinn

25) _Loser Like Me_

- Rachel, Finn, Santana, Brittany, Tina, Mike, Kurt, Artie, Blaine, Puck, Sam, Mercedes, & Quinn

~ Encore ~

26)_ I Feel Pretty/Unpretty_

- Rachel & Quinn

27) _True Colours _

- Tina, Finn, Mercedes, Puck, Kurt, Brittany, Blaine, Mike, Santana, & Sam

28)_ The Safety Dance_

- Artie (with dancers)

29) _Don't Stop Believin' _

- Rachel, Finn, Kurt, Blaine, Mercedes, Puck, Brittany, Santana, Mike, Tina, Sam, Quinn, & Artie

"Leah!" I exclaimed excitedly, grabbing her arm. "They're doing _our_ song!" I pointed at number 16. Leah and I had learned all of the words and even the whole dance for this song. It was one of our favourites.

"I know what we'll be doing backstage during the show!" Leah smiled mischievously.

"Dancing with witch hats and broomsticks?" I suggested.

"Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!" Leah exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "Shall we?" She started to pull her iPod out of her pocket, but I stopped her.

"Not right now," I laughed, placing a gentle hand on her arm. "I've got a job to do!"

"Later then?" she asked, slightly pouting.

"Of course," I smiled as I turned to leave. "You know that I can't say no to a _HummelBerry_ duet!" Her laughter followed me out into the hall.

As I made my way down the hallway, I found myself starting to hum_ Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead _in my head. Giving into temptation, I pulled out my iPod and set it to play the song as I put the earbuds in my ears. I spent the next twenty minutes singing quietly along to various _Glee_ songs as I went about the theatre hanging up the set lists. I saved the dressing rooms, more specifically Darren's dressing room, for last.

As I did for all of the other rooms, I knocked before pushing open the door. I let out a deep sigh of relief as I discovered that he was not there. No one had been in their rooms. I guessed that they were maybe having a meeting with Ryan or something. Relaxing, I went over to the large vanity on the far side of the room and taped the set list to the mirror, a very visible and easy to see spot.

"Well, that's that!" I declared out loud to myself. I turned to leave, not wanting to be there when Darren got back. Though things were better between us, I still wasn't very comfortable being around him just yet. I sighed, reaching for the doorknob when my iPod shuffled to a new song and started to play it. I stopped, a smile spreading across my lips as I recognized the song. Ironically, it was one of his songs.

_Your lipstick stains  
On the front lobe of my  
Left-side brains  
I knew I wouldn't forget you  
And so I went and let you  
Blow my mind_

I started singing along with the song, quietly at first but gradually getting louder as I danced around the room.

_Your sweet moonbeam  
The smell of you in every  
Single dream I dream  
I knew when we collided  
You're the one I have decided  
Who's one of my kind_

_Hey soul sister  
Ain't that mister mister  
On the radio, stereo  
The way you move ain't fair, you know  
Hey soul sister  
I don't wanna miss  
A single thing you do  
Tonight_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_Just in time  
I'm so glad you have  
A one track mind like me  
You gave my life direction  
A game show love connection  
We can't deny_

_I'm so obsessed  
My heart is bound to beat  
Right out my untrimmed chest  
I believe in you  
LIke a virgin, you're Madonna  
And I'm always gonna wanna blow your mind_

_Hey soul sister  
Ain't that mister mister  
On the radio, stereo  
The way you move ain't fair, you know  
Hey soul sister  
I don't wanna miss  
A single thing you do  
Tonight_

_The way you can cut a rug  
Watching you is the only drug I need  
So gangster, I'm so thug  
You're the only one I'm dreaming of_

_You see, I can be myself now finally  
In fact there's nothing I can't be  
I want the world to see you'll be with me_

_Hey soul sister  
Ain't that mister mister  
On the radio, stereo  
The way you move ain't fair, you know  
Hey soul sister  
I don't wanna miss  
A single thing you do  
Tonight_

_Hey soul sister  
I don't wanna miss  
A single thing you do  
Tonight_

_Hey, hey, hey  
Tonight  
Hey, hey, hey  
Tonight_

As I finished the last note of the song I found myself smiling. I was relieved that I still found joy in singing his songs after everything that had happened. His songs were, after all, some of my favourites.

In the quiet between songs, I heard a sudden thump on the door and I froze. He was back. My eyes frantically darted around the room, looking for a way out. There were two other doors. I took a gamble and dashed towards one as the doorknob started to turn. I quickly slipped through the door, somehow managing to not make a sound, briefly glancing back to see the other door fly open. I looked back in front of me and found that I was in Chris Colfer's dressing room. I hadn't realized that they were connected.

_That could have saved me a lot of time if I had known that earlier,_ I groaned inwardly. Then I remembered where I was and quickly exited the room, just in case he had seen me duck in here. There was thankfully no one in the hallway.

_Whew,_ I sighed, wiping my forehead. _That was a close one. _

I knew that I couldn't avoid him forever, but for now it made me feel better to keep some distance between us.

_I doubt he'll even notice,_ I thought, partly sad. _There are so many other girls that he can think about, so why would he bother thinking about me?_


	10. Chapter 10: She's Not There

Chapter 10 - She's Not There

**Darren's POV**

"Where is she?" I gasped, looking frantically around the room. I checked behind each of the clothing racks, but came up empty-handed.

"Are you sure that it was coming from in here?" Chris' voice came from behind me. I turned around to glare at him.

"You can't tell me that you didn't hear her too!" I accused. "She was right here!"

"Maybe it was just a recording or something," Chris suggested. "Just because you heard someone singing doesn't mean that they were actually singing right here, right now."

"Chris, I'm serious!" I sighed, slumping back against the vanity. "She was in here."

We had been walking back from a talk from Ryan. He had wanted to make sure that everything was ok with everyone. Though the question was said to everyone, I knew that it was actually directed towards me. My suspicions were confirmed when he pulled me aside afterwards.

"I'm fine," I insisted. "I just had a bad day yesterday, that's all."

"Vanessa problems," Chris pitched it, for which I shot him an angry glare.

"Again?" Ryan sighed. "Look Darren-"

"It's over between us, okay?" I sighed. "I called it off yesterday. That's why I was so upset and acted out. I did go apologize to that girl. I felt terrible about what happened, so I took her flowers and everything. I think things are cool between us now. But ya, I'm fine now. No more acting out, I swear." Ryan just stared at me for a minute, assessing whether or not he believed me, but finally he let out a sigh and sent us on our way.

"On stage in ten," he reminded us as we walked away. "We're going to run from the top, that means the beginning of the show!"

_I know,_ I rolled my eyes. As much as I loved Ryan, I could only take so much of him. Like I am the theatre guy after all, my fame kinda started with the help of _AVPM_, a musical that I helped write and produce. It's like as if he forgot that sometimes.

_Well, after next week I won't have to worry about him breathing down my neck,_ I smiled. Ryan was only staying for one week of the show, just to make sure that everything was going well, before heading back to LA to work on more scripts for _Glee_, as well as some of his other shows.

"Did I overstep with the whole Vanessa comment?" Chris' soft voice asked tentatively. I sighed as I looked at him. He had that worried look on his face, afraid that he had upset me.

"No, Chris, it's fine," I reassured him, giving him a light pat on the back. "It's just that Ryan doesn't need to know every detail of my personal life, okay?"

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"It's fine," I repeated. That's when I heard it. The soft, musical sound of someone singing.

"Do you hear that?" I asked, putting my arm out to stop him. We both stood there in the middle of the hallway, our ears straining to hear the voice.

"I do," Chris exclaimed, looking at me. "Who is it?"

"I don't know," I felt my eyebrows furrow in confusion. It wasn't a voice that I recognized. "Let's find out!"

We slowly made our way down the hallway, stopping momentarily at each door that we passed, listening intently to see if the voice came from inside. Finally, we stopped outside a door where the voice sounded the loudest. With a start, I realized that we were standing in front of my dressing room. I gave Chris a questioning look, to which he just shrugged. I carefully pressed my ear against the door and suddenly felt sure that this was where the source of the voice was.

I wanted to fling the door open to reveal the singer, but I found myself entranced by the voice. It was light and pure, obviously female, and was so happy as it sang the song that I had done on _Glee_, _Hey, Soul Sister_. She was singing it acapella, but it still sounded beautiful even without the music that I was used to hearing with this song.

I felt Chris lean up against the door beside me, trying to hear the voice better too. We both listened silently as she sang the last line of the song and when she finished, I felt the sudden urge to rush in and find out who this person was. But when I went to step back from the door, my foot caught on Chris', who was standing too close to me, and I almost fell backwards, throwing my body forwards instead. I winced as my body slammed against the door.

"You okay?" Chris whispered, concern laced in his words.

"I'm fine," I replied, pushing myself away from the door. "Come on, let's go applaud our mystery singer." I grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. I was shocked to find the room empty.

"Where is she?" I repeated again for like the fifth time.

"Darren, I don't think-" Chris started.

"No, we both heard her," I interrupted him. "You know that there was someone in here!"

"I don't know what I heard," Chris sighed. "For all we know, it could have been a recording. Don't stress out over it, okay? We've got a show to do!"

"Alright," I sighed, grabbing my _Michael Jackson _outfit for the first number. "I'll try."

"There's my brave, handsome, bushy-haired boyfriend!" Chris smiled, using a line from the show.

"Hey, don't insult the hair!" I warned, pointing a finger at him. He just raised his hands defensively as if to say, "Sorry, didn't mean it, don't point at me!" I dropped my hand with a laugh.

"You better hurry," I smirked. "You're running out of time to put on your _favourite_ costume." Chris just glared at me. The _Michael Jackson _outfit was one of his least favourites as it was a full black leather, one-piece suit that, like my outfit, had a band around the left sleeve, except his was gold.

"Can't I just sit this one out?" he pleaded, pouting his lips a little.

"Chris..." I added a warning tone to my voice.

"I'm going! I'm going!" he sighed, turning around and exiting through the door that attached our rooms.

"Huh," I heard him exclaim softly as he passed through the door. "I thought that I had closed this."

My heart skipped a beat at his comment. He _had_ closed that door earlier. That meant that I was _right. _

_Someone had been in here._


	11. Chapter 11: It's All Over

_A/N: Thank you to** kawaii01 **for your comment on the last chapter :) Even just getting a simple comment saying how much you're enjoying it makes my day! So please don't be afraid to leave a comment! :)_

* * *

Chapter 11 - It's All Over

**Kaley's POV**

"Kaley, have you seen this?" Leah asked when I walked into the room. She was sitting on the long, rectangular table, holding up what looked like a magazine, one of the weekly ones, I guessed. On the front I could just barely make out three familiar faces: Chris, Darren, and Lea Michele.

"No, I haven't," I replied, walking over to her. "What's it about?"

"See for yourself," was all she said, holding the magazine out to me. I took it, pulling myself up onto the table beside her. On the front cover there was a large picture of Chris and Lea supporting a very dazed and out-of-it looking Darren. I looked closer at the picture of Darren and realized with a start that he was wearing the exact same clothes as when we had met.

"This was from yesterday," I told Leah. She raised an eyebrow, silently inquiring how I knew this. "He was wearing that hoodie last night." She accepted my reasoning with a nod.

"Look at the caption," she urged, pointing at the bold lettering beneath the photo. It read: _Darren's Downward Spiral_. I looked up at Leah questioningly, but she just shrugged.

"I was waiting for you to find out what that's about," she said, scooting closer to me. "It's on page 21, I know that at least, but I didn't peek at it. I wanted to wait for you so that we could read it together." I opened the magazine, quickly flipping through the pages till I found the one that I was looking for. Similar photos as the one on the cover page were plastered all across the double page spread, as well as a picture of a very pretty brunette.

"That's Vanessa, his girlfriend," I told Leah, pointing to the brunette. I had always been secretly jealous of her, wishing that I could have been the one to date Darren, but I always felt unpretty when I compared myself to her, someone that Darren would never even think about dating.

Vanessa was tall, slightly taller than Darren at times due to the high heels that she always wore, and very thin, like supermodel thin, which made sense since that's exactly what she was.

_She's beautiful,_ I sighed to myself as I traced my finger along her long, wavy chocolate brown hair. I could never remember what colour her eyes were because they were always covered by a pair of huge black sunglasses, like the ones that she wore in the picture, but I was sure that they must be beautiful. Supermodels always had stunning eyes.

"Oh my gosh, Kaley!" Leah exclaimed, drawing my attention away from Vanessa's picture. She was pointing eagerly at the main article. I followed her finger to the words on the page and started to read them.

_Darren Criss, the third rated most sexiest man in America, was found to be feeling the exact opposite this past Friday evening, arriving at his hotel on the supportive arms of friends and costars, Chris Colfer and Lea Michele. When asked what was wrong, Criss was unable to answer, barely conscious to what was going on around him. After much digging into this strange reaction, our sources discovered that it was only hours earlier that Criss and his long time girlfriend of almost two years, Vanessa Peterson, had called off their relationship. Our sources will not confirm who was the one to call it off, but judging by Criss' reaction, it is almost safe to assume that Peterson was the one who ended it. _

_How will this heartbreak affect Criss' career? With the Glee Experience show just starting tomorrow, Sunday, July 22, will Criss be able to put his emotions on hold or will he cause problems on and off stage for his costars? _

"That's despicable!" I cried, pointing at the last statement. "Darren is a total professional! He knows the rules of the theatre! _Leave your baggage at the door_!"

"Kaley, is that all that you got from this?" Leah urged me to look at the article again. This time, as my eyes flittered over the sentences, I stopped at the line that Leah was freaking about: _our sources discovered that it was only hours earlier that Criss and his long time girlfriend of almost two years, Vanessa Peterson, had called off their relationship._

I slowly looked up at Leah as realization clicked in my head.

"Kaley, Darren is _single_!" she exclaimed excitedly, trying to get me to join in her excitement. But I didn't. I felt my blood run cold and I shivered as I read the line over and over again.

"Kaley?" her voice was filled with concern and worry because I hadn't joined in with her. I slowly tore my attention away from the magazine and looked at her.

"That's why he was so upset," I said slowly. "That's why he got so mad..." I saw realization flood through her eyes as I turned my attention back down on the magazine, on those words: _it was only hours earlier. _

My eyes slowly drifted back down to the picture of him being supported by Chris and Lea. Vanessa had broken up with him. It had happened only hours earlier from when this picture had been taken, but when we first met, it had happened only _moments_ earlier.


	12. Chapter 12: Born This Way

Chapter 12 - Born This Way

**Darren's POV**

Rehearsal just seemed to drag on and on today, and what made it even worse was the fact that I could not stop thinking about her. I wanted to know who she was and not knowing was killing me.

Even Chris could tell that I was anxious about something, so when they called for an intermission break, he quickly pulled me aside before I could disappear on him.

"Darren, what's going on with you?" he asked as he led me away from the stage, his watchful eyes darting around cautiously as we walked. "You seem really out of it and if Ryan notices..."

"It's the singer," I sighed, running my fingers through my hair, which had not been styled today since it was just a rehearsal. "I can't stop thinking about her! Chris, I need to know who she is! It's driving me crazy!"

"Darren, you already were crazy," Chris teased.

"Funny," I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes at him.

"Oh, come on, Dare!" he exclaimed, giving me a light, playful shove. "You know I'm just teasing!"

"I know," I sighed. "I'm sorry." Chris lightly grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"This is really bothering you, isn't it?" he asked, his concerned eyes staring deep into mine as if trying to unlock the secrets of my mind.

"It is," I nodded. "I hate not knowing things, like not knowing what it was that you whispered to Kaley earlier today..."

"Oh that?" he laughed. "That's been bothering you too? Well, that's an easy one to fix. I just told her to give you a chance because you really were a great guy and that everyone has an off day sometimes. I guess you could say that I was kinda being your wingman, talking you up and making you look good." He gave me a warm smile, which I returned.

"Thanks," I smiled. "I'm glad that I have a friend like you to look out for me."

"Anytime," he smiled back. "I'll try to keep an eye out for your mystery singer too. I couldn't bear to see you go completely insane over this."

"Five minutes until top of Act Two!" a voice called out somewhere behind us.

"We'd better get moving ," Chris commented, starting to walk again. "We still have to change outfits."

We quickly hurried to our dressing rooms to change, parting ways once we reached our respective doors.

"See you in a few," Chris smiled over his shoulder as he slipped through his door.

"Yep," I called back, even though he was already gone. I opened my own door and walked into my room, quickly finding my _Born This Way _outfit. It consisted of a pair of black skinny jeans and a white t-shirt that said _**Bushy Hair **_in big, black lettering. Having bushy hair may have been something that my character, Blaine, would be insecure about, but as for me, I embraced the craziness of my locks.

I quickly changed into the skinny jeans and then, as I took off my shirt to put on the white one, I heard a knock on my door.

"I'm almost ready, Chris!" I called out. There was a pause of silence and I was surprised that he hadn't responded. After a second, there was another quiet knock. With a sigh, I walked over to the door and threw it open, surprised to find standing in the doorway not Chris, but rather Kaley.

"Oh!" was all that came from her lips as she stared at me, her eyes growing wide and her cheeks turning a bright red. She quickly turned her gaze away from me and I was taken aback by her reaction. This was a side of her that I had never seen before. I had seen her scared, surprised, angry, and happy before, but I had never seen her like this...

_Embarrassed, _I realized. _She's embarrassed. But why would she be embarrassed by me?_ I looked down and suddenly realized why.

I was still shirtless.


	13. Chapter 13: Glad You Came

_A/N: I'd like to welcome** iluvklainebows** &** cassidycmr **to this story! :) Thank you so much for subscribing to it! Please feel free to leave me some comments letting me know what you think of the different chapters. I'd love to hear your thoughts :)  
_

_And as always, I hope that you enjoy these next couple chapters :-p_

* * *

Chapter 13 - Glad You Came

**Kaley's POV**

As soon as I saw his bare chest, I could instantly feel my cheeks flush with heat and I had to quickly pull my gaze away from him, looking down at the floor instead, as a small "oh!" escaped from my lips. I hadn't expected him to be shirtless.

It wasn't like I was a virgin to seeing guys shirtless. I had seen tons of my guy friends back home without their shirts on, but it was different when it was someone that you were crushing on. Seeing Darren shirtless sent my heart into a full on frenzy. It stopped for a second, then pounded rapidly against my chest, then it skipped a beat, and then it stopped again. From the quick sight that I had caught before turning my gaze away I could see that he had abs and they looked _fine_ on him. I had to lock my jaw in place to keep it from dropping to the floor, as cheesy as that sounds.

"Oh, sorry," Darren exclaimed. "Ok, it's safe now." I slowly looked back up at him and was relieved to see that he had pulled on a white shirt. On the front, it had the words _**Bushy Hair **_printed on it.

"_Born This Way_?" I asked, pointing at his shirt. He looked down at his shirt and smiled.

I have to admit, his smile gave me goosebumps and made my stomach do a flip flop. He had a really, really great smile.

"Yep," he nodded.

"Cool," I smiled back tentatively. Then we kinda stood there awkwardly for a second.

"Ummm, do you want to come in?" he asked, stepping aside slightly to let me in.

"S-Sure," I stuttered, moving to enter the room. As I passed by him, my hand lightly brushed against his bare arm and I felt shivers run down my spine.

Ok, I'm not going to lie, I was feeling a little starstruck being so close to Darren. He was, after all, my major celebrity crush. It was hard not to feel a little nervous and giddy around him, especially now that I was finally starting to get over what had happened the other night. Chris was right. Darren was a great guy and I needed to give him a chance. Everyone does have an off day once in a while and, after reading about what had happened to upset Darren so much, I think that I could cut him a little slack. I know I've snapped before and felt horrible about it afterwards.

"So what can I do for you?" he asked, turning towards me after only slightly closing the door, which I was thankful for. I didn't need any more rumors about me and Darren going around, especially not after the big one that people were still whispering about. Ok, I know it only started last night, but people seriously just needed to drop it. It was one mistake and people were twisting the story and making Darren seem like a horrible guy. I was doing my best to squash the rumors, but they tend to spread as quickly as fire and be just as dangerous.

"Kaley?" Darren's voice called my attention.

"Sorry," I smiled slightly. "Just a little lost in thought."

"That's alright," he laughed lightly. "So what can I do for you?"

"Just talk, really," I shrugged. "I happened upon this today..." I held up the magazine that I had been holding for him to see. His eyes squinted slightly as he looked at the cover, trying to read it. I could instantly tell when he knew what it said because his shoulders suddenly stiffened.

"I know this is probably the last thing that you want to see or talk about right now," I began before he could say anything, "But I felt that I needed you to know that I understand why you acted out last night. I understand, Darren. It's hard having your heart broken by someone that you love. Trust me, I know..." I felt a sudden sting in my heart as I thought about how Darren had made me feel last night.

"And while reading this article, I know, it's horrible of me to be reading this crap," I continued. "Well, I realized that though I had forgiven you, I was still mad at you and when I realized what had happened to make you act that way, I felt horrible about being mad at you for making me hurt when you were hurting all along. So I felt that I needed to come here and tell you that I'm sorry and that I really, truly do forgive you, from the bottom of my heart."

Darren didn't say anything for a moment. He just kind of stood there and looked at me, a surprised expression on his face. But that expression quickly changed into a smile.

"Thank you," he said softly. "That means a lot to me to hear you say that. I can see why Chris took such a liking to you and your friend. You guys really are such nice people. That's a rare thing to find in New York."

"Well, we're not from New York originally," I smiled. "We actually just moved here last year to, you know, pursue our dreams and all that jazz." Darren let out a light, warm laugh.

"Really?" he sent me a beaming smile. "So where are you from then?"

"Well-" I began, but was cut off by a sharp knock at the door, which was quickly followed by it swinging wide open.

"Come on, Dare, we've got- Oh! Hello, Kaley!" Chris cut himself off to greet me with a smile.

"Hi, Chris," I smiled warmly back at him. "Well, I should get going. It was good talking to you, Darren. I'm sorry again about everything that happened. I know it must have been hard to have Vanessa break up with you, but things will get better. But if you ever need an ice cream buddy, I know I great little parlor just a couple of blocks from here." I turned to leave, but was stopped as Darren grabbed my arm.

"What do you mean by 'Vanessa breaking up with me'?" he asked very seriously. I felt the blood drain from my face.

"T-That's what it said..." I replied nervously, holding up the magazine again.

"May I?" he asked, softening as he noticed my reaction. He was gesturing towards the magazine. I nodded, allowing him to take it from my hand. He gently let go off my arm and flipped open the magazine. His brows furrowed and his eyes squinted again as he read. Finally, with a disgusted sigh, he tore his attention away from the magazine in his hands and looked straight at me.

"For the record, never believe everything that you read in magazine," he remarked, handing it back to me. "Vanessa did not break up with me. I broke up with her. And I wasn't crying over her in those pictures. I was crying over..." He stopped, his cheeks reddening a little, which surprised me. I had never actually seen him blush before. Then I realized why he was blushing, who he had been crying over. It had been me.

"I understand," was all I said, giving him a light smile.

"All performers onstage now!" a voice that sounded kind of like Ryan Murphy's called over the P.A. system. "And I mean _now_, Chris and Darren!"

"Oh snap!" Darren exclaimed. "Ryan's pissed!

"You'd better get going then," I laughed, shooing them towards the door. "The show needs its stars!"

"Yes, yes it does," Chris laughed as he scooted out the door. Darren followed after him, pausing slightly in the doorway.

"Thanks, Kaley," he said, turning slightly back towards me. "You have no idea what this meant to me." And then he was gone. I stood there for a second, a smile spreading across my lips as a warm feeling bubbled inside of me.

"Oh, and one more thing!" Darren's voice suddenly said, calling my attention back to the doorway. "I'll be sure to take you up on that ice cream offer sometime. I'd love to hear about this dream that brought you to New York from who knows where." And with another quick smile and a slight wink, he was gone again.

I slowly brought my hand up and placed it over my heart, feeling it pound rapidly against my chest. I don't think that I had ever felt this exhilarated in all of my life.

It took me a couple of minutes to finally urge myself to get going, telling myself that I probably shouldn't be in his room when he came back to change. That would be a little bit awkward. I left his room, closing the door gently behind me before carrying on my way. Leah was probably waiting patiently for me to return, excited to hear about everything that had happened.

_We talked, I apologized, we laughed,_ I could hear myself sharing the event to Leah. _He showed interest in my dreams and where I'm from, he agreed to go for ice cream... _I stopped suddenly in the middle of the hallway. He had agreed to go for ice cream!

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed out loud, starting to book it down the hallway as I began to almost scream Leah's name. I was soon crashing through the door to the laundry/costume room.

"Leah!" I exclaimed, almost out of breath.

"I'm here!" she said, appearing at my side. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Leah," I said through gasps for air, grabbing her shoulders and turning her towards me. "I think I just got a _date_ with Darren!"


	14. Chapter 14: How Will I Know

_A/N: So I just realized how to view who all of your subscribers are (before I found out through my email notifications) and I just realized that I never gave credit to **cirquedumockingjay **or **Place In This World** for following this story, unless you went under different names before and have changed them since you subscribed. I don't know, but if not, I apologize for not recognizing you guys sooner. Please don't be afraid to leave me some comments and critics! :-p  
_

_Hope you enjoy this chapter! :-p_

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Chapter 14 - How Will I Know

**Darren's POV**

"That's a wrap for today!" Ryan declared as soon as the lights came back on. We had just finished doing _Don't Stop Believin'_ and I was soaked with sweat. The bright lights that flooded the stage were intensely hot to stand under.

"Don't forget to set aside whatever you need cleaned for tomorrow for the wardrobe caretakers to pick up," Ryan called out after us as we began to drift away.

"Ya, that will be like half of my wardrobe," I joked, nudging Chris in the side. Chris looked me up and down and smirked.

"Ya, more like all of it!" he teased. I just rolled my eyes at him. It seemed like being in New York brought out a more goofy, playful side to Chris.

"So what's up with you and Kaley?" he asked suddenly, catching me off guard.

"What do you mean?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows at him.

"Well, she came to see you during rehearsal," Chris began with a smile. "And she invited you out for ice cream, which you totally have to do and-"

"I already told her that I would," I cut him off with a smile.

"Like on a _date_?" he gasped excitedly.

"No, Chris," I laughed. "I mean, she's cool and all, but we're just friends as far as I can tell." I shrugged. "We're just two friends going for ice cream together, that's all."

"So you're saying that you wouldn't go on an actual date with her?" Chris asked, kind of disappointedly. "It's just two friends '_hanging out_'?"

"I'm not saying that," I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. How could I get across my thoughts and feelings to Chris? Yes, Kaley was cute and really sweet, but I still didn't know her very well and I'd much rather be friends first and then, if there were any further feelings there, well then I'd cross that bridge when I got to it. Besides, there was still this other girl on my mind. I could not stop thinking about her, as much as I tried to, and it was really starting to bother me.

There was just something about her voice that I just kinda fell in love with, even though I didn't even know who she was. I had to find out who this girl was first before I could even think about dating someone else because it wasn't fair to them for me to lead them on when I couldn't even stop thinking about this other girl.

"It's just now's not really a good time for me to be thinking about seeing anyone," I finally said.

"Oh, right," Chris sighed. "Seeing as your still getting over Vanessa and all... Ya, that wouldn't be fair to Kaley."

_Vanessa?_ I had actually almost forgotten about her. I think that though my heart had still been attached to her, my mind had already concluded that our relationship had ended a long time ago, and now it was ready to start a new one.

"Y-Yeah, right, Vanessa..." I kind of stuttered.

"Wait a second!" Chris exclaimed, stepping in front of me to make me stop. "This is about that singer, isn't it? Seriously, Darren? Again?"

"I told you that I couldn't stop thinking about her," I just shrugged, moving past him.

"Darren!" Chris huffed, turning to follow me. "There is this perfectly, sweet girl right in front of your eyes and yet you choose someone you haven't even seen over her?! Are you _crazy_?"

"Maybe," I shrugged again. "Besides, I don't even know if Kaley's even into me that way. Like, I know that she's a fan and all, but what I want is to be with someone who likes me for who I am and not just because I'm on _Glee _or because they like my voice. No, I want someone who likes me for me."

"So you want someone who doesn't just like you for your voice and yet you're chasing after some girl because of _hers_?" Chris exclaimed, disbelief plastered all over his face. "Really, Darren? Really?"

"I can't explain it, Chris," I sighed. "Cause it doesn't even make sense to me. But you know, the heart wants what the heart wants."

"You, sir, are impossible," Chris stated.

"I can't help it," I shrugged. "I am who I am."

"And who you are is crazy," Chris added with a light shake of his head. "Kaley, I pity you, you poor, poor girl."

"Why?" I asked, coming to a stop outside of our dressing rooms.

"Really?" he sighed. "Darren, you seriously are hopelessly oblivious!" With that, he opened his door and went into his dressing room, leaving me standing alone in the hallway.

_What did he mean by that?_ I wondered, as I entered my own room. Instead of dwelling on his comment, I just shook it off with a sigh, turning my attention instead on my wardrobe. The jackets were fine, but all of the shirts and a few of the pants could use a run through the wash. I quickly collected these, adding the ones that I was currently wearing after changing out of them, and hanging them all on an empty clothing rack. They ended up filling the rack. Looking at it, I felt surprised by how many were on it.

_I feel bad for whoever has to clean all of these,_ I thought to myself. That's when I realized that it would be Kaley who would have to deal with all of this. Well, Kaley and her friend, Leah.

_Maybe I should stick around and help her carry these..._

Just then there was a knock at the door.

"It's open!" I called out and the door slowly opened, a familiar face peeking out from behind it.

"Is it safe?" Kaley's voice was light and warm. Her hand was covering her bright brown eyes, but I could see them peeking slightly through the slits in between her fingers.

"Yes, it is," I laughed. I watched a smile spread across her lips as she let her hand fall and she quickly slipped the rest of the way into the room.

"Good," she smiled. It seemed like every time that I saw her that she was getting more and more comfortable being around me, which I was happy about.

"I'm guessing that you're here for my clothes?" I asked, a smile trickling onto my lips.

"Well... The ones for the show, yes," she blushed slightly. "You can keep the ones that you're wearing." I was puzzled by her comment for a moment, but then I realized how my question could have sounded to her and I found myself blushing.

"I didn't mean-" I started.

"Darren, I'm _teasing _you!" she laughed. "I know what you meant! Lighten up a little!"

"Oh, I knew that!" I bluffed, with a light laugh. "My clothes are hanging on that rack." I pointed at it, watching Kaley as her eyes followed my finger. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open a little when she saw the rack.

"Holy crap, Darren!" she exclaimed. "You go through more clothes than Lea does! ...Your Lea, not mine."

"Well, half of her wardrobe is made up of dresses," I pointed out.

"Touché," she slightly nodded at me, walking over to the rack. "Do you mind if I just take the whole thing? It'd be easier than trying to carry them all..."

"That's why I put them all on there," I replied, moving to the opposite side of the rack. "Would you like some help moving it?" She seemed surprised by my offer.

"S-Sure," she smiled. "That would be awesome."

Maneuvering that thing was actually harder than I thought it would be, and I was glad that I had offered to help her. She would have had a terrible time with it on her own. We talked a little bit as we took the rack to the laundry room, though it was all just basic, general stuff like how rehearsal went, how excited we were about the show going up tomorrow, just random stuff like that. Though I would have rather have gotten to know more about Kaley, as she kept a lot of facts about herself a secret from me, I actually enjoyed our light conversation. It felt relaxed and natural, not forced or anything.

I found myself feeling very comfortable talking to Kaley. Maybe I had brushed Chris' comment off too quickly. Kaley was pretty cute after all, and she seemed really genuine and sweet. And she had an amazing laugh. I don't know why, but I just loved hearing her laugh. Whenever she laughed, I just couldn't help but smile too. It's like her happiness was contagious. You just couldn't help but feel happy and good around her. Maybe that's why I ended up staying for over an hour helping her collect all of the outfits from other people's dressing rooms.

It was getting pretty late by the time Kaley finally shooed me away.

"Darren, you should go home," Kaley sighed, looking up from the shirt that she was currently folding. "It's late and you need your sleep. The show goes up tomorrow and you need to be well rested for it."

"But there's still so much to be done!" I exclaimed, my arms gesturing at all of the clothes piled around the room.

"Leah and I can handle it," she laughed. "It is our job, after all. Now go!" She gave me a light, playful shove towards the door.

"Go!" she repeated with another laugh when I paused in the doorway. "We can handle it."

"You're sure?" I asked, not really wanting to leave yet. "It's getting pretty late..."

"Yes, I'm sure," she sighed. "We're going to be leaving soon anyways and we'll just finish what's left in the morning."

"Ok, well, drive safe then!" I waved as I turned to leave.

"I don't have a car, but thanks anyways," her voice laughed.

"Then how will you get home?" I asked, turning back around slightly.

"We'll call a cab or walk," she shrugged. "We don't live too far from here, so it's no big deal."

"Alright then," I smiled, an idea popping into my head. "I'll see you tomorrow then!"

"Good night, Darren," she smiled, raising a hand to wave goodbye. I liked the way that she said my name. It made my stomach do a flip flop, which was something that I was not expecting, and yet I kind of liked it.

"Good night, Kaley," I smiled warmly at her before turning away. Though I did not look back, I was pretty sure that she was still watching me until I disappeared from her sight, the thought of which made me smile.

_Why am I feeling like this?_ I wondered as I stepped outside. The cool, evening breeze swirled around me as I exited the theatre and I found myself feeling thankful for the warmth that my jacket gave as I pulled it tighter around me.

Within seconds, a limo pulled up before me and I quickly got in.

"Hey, Steven!" I called out, knocking on the tinted glass that separated me from the driver. It quickly rolled down to reveal an older man with balding white hair.

"What can I do for you, Sir?" he asked, his kind, wrinkled face smiling at me, and I instantly felt sure that he would go along with my plans. Taking a deep breath, I put my plan into action.

"I have a favour to ask of you."


	15. Chapter 15: The Music Of The Night

_A huge thank you to my two awesome commenters, **cassidycmr **& **Iluvklainebows **for your awesome comments :) Also, a shoutout to new subscriber **NadiaTheStarkid**. Please feel free to leave me some comments letting me know what you think of my story :) I'd love to hear your thoughts :)  
_

**_As always, I hope that you enjoy this chapter :)_  
**

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Chapter 15 - The Music of the Night

**Kaley's POV**

"You were_ totally _flirting with him!" Leah exclaimed as soon as Darren was gone, coming to stand beside me. She had given Darren and I some space while he was here, but now that he was gone, she was instantly back at my side.

"I was not!" I rolled my eyes at her. "I don't even know how to flirt!"

"You totally were!" she teased, poking my arm repeatedly. "_Kaley and Darren, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G_!"

"Oh, shut up!" I laughed, playfully shoving her away from me.

"Never!" she laughed, darting closer to me and poking my side, one of my most ticklish spots.

"Leah!" I shrieked with a gasp as I doubled over slightly. I was extremely ticklish, so even a simple poke to my side would get me.

"_First comes love, then comes marriage_," she continued chanting, dancing around me and continuing to dart closer and poke me. "_Then comes Darren pushing a baby carriage_!"

"That's it!" I exclaimed, lunging at her. "You're dead!" I grabbed her and tackled her to the ground. She kept chanting though, so I clamped my hand over her mouth as I pinned her to the floor.

"Mmmff!" came the muffled sound from under my hand.

"Are you going to stop?" I asked, grinning slightly. She just glared at me defiantly, shaking her head, "no". Then I felt something wet and slimy run across the palm of my hand.

"Leah!" I exclaimed, pulling my hand away. "That was gross!" I furiously wiped my hand on my pants, trying to get Leah's saliva off of my palm.

"That's what you get for trying to silence me!" she laughed, using the opportunity to break away from where I had pinned her to the floor.

"_Chris and Leah, sitting in a tree_," I mocked her voice. "_K-I-S-S-I-N-G_!"

"Yeah, I wish," she sighed, flopping down into a nearby chair. "You at least have a better chance with your guy. With Chris, it's not very likely."

"You never know," I shrugged as I stood up and brushed myself off. "And I don't think that I will have much of a chance with Darren anyways. Like really, he's a famous celebrity. Me? I'm a nobody, a wannabe writer who can't even finish a single dang book!" I sighed, leaning back against a table near Leah. "Before yesterday, Darren didn't even know that I even existed! Just because he's being nice and friendly now doesn't mean that he's going to have feelings for me like I have for him. And who knows if we're even really friends? I don't know, Leah, I don't know. I doubt that he really will even go out for ice cream with me. Why would a somebody like him want to spend time with a nobody like me?"

"Kaley!" Leah grabbed my shoulder and turned my attention towards her. "Kaley, Darren just spent over an hour here helping you! He didn't stay to help me, he stayed to help _you_! And did you not notice how reluctant he was to leave? Kaley, he _likes_ you!"

"I don't know," I turned away from her. "It's just hard to believe that something like that is true."

"Just you wait," I could hear the smile in her voice. "I bet you dishes for a week that he will go on that ice cream date with you!"

"Deal," I laughed, turning back to her and taking her extended hand, which I shook firmly.

"We should probably get going," Leah sighed, letting go of my hand to look at her watch ring. "If we leave now, we should make it home shortly after midnight."

"Alright," I agreed, pushing myself away from the table. "Let's go then."

"Wait, I have to get my stuff!" Leah exclaimed, quickly disappearing behind a row of racks. "Be right back!" I just shook my head and leaned back against the table again, staring in the direction that she had gone, waiting patiently for her to get back.

"Oh, hello, Kaley," a familiar voice echoed through the room. I turned towards the doorway where I found myself being once again entranced by a pair of bright blue eyes.

"H-hello, James," I stuttered, quickly looking back in the direction where Leah had gone. "What are you doing here so late?"

"I could ask you the same question," he smiled charmingly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Laundry," I replied, gesturing at all of the clothes around the room. "Their clothes have to be clean and fresh for each performance."

"I see," he nodded.

"Well, what about you?" I asked, still periodically checking back for Leah. "What's keeping you here so late?"

"Oh, just final lighting and fly checks," he shrugged. "Had to make sure that everything is all good to go for tomorrow. I just finished and now I'm on my way home."

"Yeah, me too," I told him. "Well, not totally done, but the rest can be finished in the morning."

"Oh, so you're leaving now too?" he asked, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Would you care for a cab buddy?"

"Actually, I think I'm going to be walking home..." I trailed off, checking again for Leah for like the millionth time.

_Where are you, Leah?_ I wondered anxiously. James was totally hitting on me, which was flattering, but Leah told me to stay away from him and I trusted her judgement with my life.

"Well then, how about a walking buddy?" he persisted, drawing my attention back to him. "You should never be walking alone at night in this city."

"And what makes you think that she would be alone?" Leah's irritated voice asked, calling both of our attentions to her. I felt myself relax, breathing a sigh of relief now that she was back.

"Oh, hello, Leah," James' voice was void of emotion. "I didn't know that you were here too."

"Yes, I am," she replied coldly, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "And I'd appreciate it if you would stop hitting on my _best friend _and just beat it." I was surprised by the intensity of her voice. She was pissed at him, though as for why she was, I had no idea.

"Now, now, Leah," James smirked. "Is that any way to treat an old boyfr-"

"Beat it, James!" Leah growled, cutting him off. "I mean it! You're not wanted here, so get lost!"

"Touchy, touchy," he grinned, amused by her anger.

"Now!" Leah growled under her breath. James raised his hands defensively, slowly backing out of the doorway.

"As you wish," he laughed, bowing to her before turning his attention back on me. "Until we meet again, Miss Grant." He smiled at me and then, with a quick wink, he was gone.

"Ok, what the heck just happened here?" I demanded, turning back to Leah. Her eyes were tightly closed and her hands were clenched into fists that were shaking slightly at her sides.

"Leah?" I said softly, moving closer to her. As I got closer, I noticed the wet streak running down her cheek. I grabbed her shoulders, making her open her eyes and look at me. They were tear-filled.

"Leah, what's wrong?" I asked, worry flooding through me. "What happened?"

"Kaley, there's something that I didn't tell you," she finally said, her voice shaky. She took a deep breath, half to calm herself and half to prepare herself to tell me her secret. "Kaley, James and I... _dated_."

"What?" I gasped.

"It's true," she nodded, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"How? When?" I asked, totally flabbergasted. "And why didn't I know?"

"It was during _Mamma Mia_," she sighed. "We had just met and he was being really flirty and charming and I couldn't help but fall for him. So we started dating. I didn't tell you because I wasn't ready for anyone to know. I was still getting used to the idea of having a boyfriend when _it_ happened."

"When what happened?" I asked anxiously, totally captivated by her story, eager to know what had happened next.

"_He_ happened," she sighed. "He's a player, Kaley. I found out that he was fooling around with not one, but_ two _other girls."

"How did you find out?" I gasped.

"I happened to accidentally intrude on a fight between the two other girls, over him, of course," she laughed halfhearttedly. "I guess that they had just found out about one another, and then I walked in. Man, they were not expecting me to be James' "girlfriend" too. But ya, he was three way cheating on us. Needless to say, we all dumped his sorry butt, in front of the rest of the crew, of course, but it still hurt. I had really liked him and he broke my heart. That's why he's nothing but trouble. That's why he's no good. He's nothing but a no good son of a b-"

"Leah!" I exclaimed, cutting her off.

"Sorry," she grimaced. I guess that in her anger she had forgotten how much I hated swearing. I despised the foul words. I would never say them and I didn't really even like to hear them. They were just stupid, in my opinion.

"It's alright," I smiled lightly. "Thank you, for telling me about him. I'm glad that I have a friend like you looking out for me."

"I know that you would do the same for me," she smiled back.

"Gah, looks like we're not going to get much sleep tonight," I sighed, looking at my watch. The digital clock read 12:01. "Maybe we should just call a cab..."

"Do you have cash on you?" Leah asked, putting on her jacket.

"No..." I replied, shaking my head.

"Then we're walking," Leah announced, heading towards the door. With a sigh, I followed her, grabbing my own jacket from the chair by the door as we passed by. I didn't bother putting it on though, thinking that it might be warm enough outside to not need it, but I changed my mind as soon as we stepped out the door. The cool evening wind blew hard past us, sending shivers crawling up and down my body. I hurriedly pulled my jacket on, zipping it all the way up to the top to provide maximum warmth.

_Man, I wish I had brought some cash, _I winced as another cold draft of air hit us.

We started walking away from the building, taking a short cut through the parking lot. Only one vehicle still sat there, and it was a long, black limousine.

"I wonder what that's still doing here," I nudged Leah and pointed at the limo.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Let's find out!" It was on our way anyways, so as we neared the long vehicle, we slowed our pace down slightly, looking for any clue as to why it was still here.

"I don't see anyone," Leah commented, pausing slightly as she tried to peek in through the window. "It's too dark to tell."

"Maybe one of the drivers left it here or something," I shrugged. "Oh well, let's just keep going. I just want to get home as fast as we can so I can go to bed!" We continued on past the limo, but we had barely gone five steps when I heard a door open behind us.

"Excuse me, Miss Grant?" a voice called out after us. My heart stopped for a second when he called my name.

_How does he know my name?_ I panicked, looking at Leah. She looked just as confused. We slowly turned around together and found an older man standing by the now open driver's seat door. He seemed harmless enough and he had a kind look to his face.

"Y-Yes?" I stuttered. "Do I know you?"

"Hello, Miss Grant, my name is Steven Thomson," he smiled warmly at us. "And you must be Miss Tanner." He nodded to Leah.

"How do you know our names?" Leah demanded very bluntly. The old man, Steven, just smiled.

"Mister Criss asked if I could give his two lady friends, Miss Grant and Miss Tanner, a ride home from the theatre once I had dropped him off," Steven explained. "He did not wish for these girls to have to walk home so late at night, and I agreed."

"We don't have any cash," Leah stated. "We have no way of paying you."

"I never asked for payment," Steven shook his head. "Mister Criss just asked if I would do him a favour and I said that I would. He is a such a nice young lad, and when he asked me to drive his two friends home so that they would get there safely, well how could I say no?"

"That is very kind of you, sir," I smiled at him.

"Oh please, call me Steven," he smiled warmly at me.

"Well then, thank you, Steven," I smiled again. Just then, another big breeze blew past us, making me shiver.

"Oh, dear me!" Steven exclaimed, hurrying to open the limo's door for us. "Please forgive me for not offering you the warm sanctuary of the vehicle earlier!"

"Thank you," we both said as we climbed into the back of the limo. Holy cow, was it ever huge! I had only ever been in a limo once before for my high school prom, but it was nothing compared to this limo. The seats were a rich, black leather, and were installed with seat warmers which Leah and I quickly put to good use, turning the heat up as high as it would go. There was a large stereo system that was softy playing some music in the background.

Leah ended up finding a small mini bar, but I didn't dare touch it. I had never had a drink in my entire life, even though I had been of legal drinking age back home before we moved. It was a decision that I had made myself. I never wanted to drink cause I never wanted to get drunk and end up doing something that I would regret later. Besides, I wasn't even of legal drinking age here... Yet.

I smiled as I thought about my upcoming birthday. One of the most special parts about it was that my best friend's birthday was only two days after mine. Leah had decided that she wanted to go to a bar for her birthday this year and I had just laughed and told her that I would be her designated driver, to which she had just rolled her eyes at, saying that I didn't even own a car.

The dark window that separated us from the driver suddenly rolled down to reveal Steven.

"So where am I taking you?" he asked.

As Leah gave him the directions to our apartment, I quickly snuggled down into my warmed seat and pulled out my phone, sending my first ever text to Darren, which I got an instant reply to.

Me: _Hey, thanks for the lift! :-p_

Darren: _Hey, no problem! It's a chilly one out there! Hope you have a pleasant ride! :)_

Me: _We will! This limo is so kool! You are so lucky! :-p_

Darren: _Haha thanks :) If you need anything at all, ask Steven. He's a great guy :)_

Me: _I think we're good. Thanks though :-p_

Darren: _Alright, well have a good night! See you tomorrow! :)_

Me: _Yep, you too! Nite! :-p_

I exited out of my text messages, letting the picture of Darren light up as I leaned my head back against the head rest.

_I could get used to this,_ I sighed, soaking in the warmth from the chair. My eyes slowly started to close as I relaxed._ It must be nice to be one of Darren's friends... _My eyes flew open as Steven's words ran through my head again: _his two lady friends, his two friends._ Darren considered us his friends!

_He considers me a friend,_ I smiled. _I guess that Leah was right after all... Oh, dang it!_ I turned my head slightly to look at her. She was relaxed back into her own chair, her headphones in, probably listening to _Glee_.

_Well, Leah,_ I sighed silently in my head. _I think that you might end up winning our bet... But I think that one week of dishes is well worth it if it means that I'm going to get to go out for ice cream with Darren._ I looked back down at my phone in my lap, Darren's picture still illuminated there and I smiled.

_Well worth it indeed._


	16. Chapter 16: Taking Chances

_A/N: Shout outs to my awesome commenters, **Iluvklainebows**, **NadiaTheStarkid**, **kawaii01**, & **Ilikemutemath**! It's because of awesome commenters like you that I continue to write :) Thank you so much! _

_Hope that you enjoy this new chapter! I should hopefully have another up later today if I find the time to finish writing it :-p_

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Chapter 16 - Taking Chances

**Darren's POV**

I don't know why I felt so giddy walking into the theatre today. Maybe it was the excitement of the show going up in just a few hours... Or maybe it was the thought of getting to see Kaley again.

"I had another one of those strange dreams again last night," Chris was saying as we walked down the hall. I was only half listening as my attention was focused on the door that we were nearing. I slowed as we passed by it, looking into the room and smiling at the girl whose eyes had flickered up and caught on mine. I lifted my hand in a friendly wave, which she returned, before I had completely passed the doorway.

"Kaley looks happy this morning," Chris commented, drawing my attention back to him. He had an_ I-told-you-so _type smirk on his face.

"I'm sure that everyone is excited about the first show today," I replied, playing it cool. I refused to give Chris the satisfaction of me admitting that he was right about Kaley. Though I still hardly knew her, I was really starting to become rather fond of her. I felt good and relaxed around her. It felt... _natural_.

"Uh huh, sure," there was laughter underlying Chris' voice. "I'm sure that that's the_ only _reason why she's so happy." He nudged me lightly with his elbow, trying to provoke me.

"Oh, shut up!" I laughed, pushing him away.

"Watch the coffee!" he exclaimed, holding his _Starbucks_ cup out away from his body.

"Sorry," I replied lightly, though a smile was still flickering across my lips.

"Hmph!" Chris huffed, turning a cold shoulder on me. I just rolled my eyes at him.

"Fine then," I remarked. "I won't invite you to come for ice cream with us today!" That caught his attention.

"You're going today?" he asked, surprise flickering through his voice as he turned back to me.

"Well, if Kaley agrees to, then yes," I nodded. "I'm interested in finding out more about her."

"You sure that you want a _third wheel _along with you two on your date?" Chris asked, raising his eyebrows at me.

"It's not a date!" I sighed. "I told you, we're just friends."

"But you like her..." Chris persisted.

"No!" I exclaimed. "I mean, yes... But no... But... Oh, I don't know!" I let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know how I feel about her..."

"Relax, Darren," Chris placed a gentle, comforting hand on my shoulder. "Just take it one step at a time. Go for ice cream. Get to know her. Then figure out your feelings for her."

"Thanks," I gave him a small but grateful smile.

A small beep suddenly came from Chris' pocket. He took his hand off of my shoulder to pull out his phone.

"Ooo! It's from Leah!" Chris smiled. "Tanner, not Michele."

"Oh?" I tried to peek over his shoulder at his phone. "What is she texting you about?"

"Nothing!" Chris exclaimed defensively, pressing his phone to his chest so that I couldn't see the screen.

"This isn't the first time that she's texted you, isn't it?" I realized suddenly.

"You have your new friend, I have mine," Chris stated simply, turning suddenly and heading back the way we had just come.

"Where are you going?" I called out after him.

"I have business to attend to!" he replied, holding up his phone and slightly waving it at me over his shoulder, not once stopping nor turning around.

"Ok then," I sighed to his departing back.

I continued down the hallway alone, waving to Lea as I passed her by. Her deep brown eyes gave me an inquiring look as if to say "Where's Chris?" but I just shrugged at her and shook my head. I was just as clueless as she was as to where Chris actually was, because, for once, I really didn't even know what he was up to.

I continued on, passing by my dressing room as I headed towards the make up and hair department. The first show didn't go up for another three hours, but I wanted to give the hair stylists as much time as I possibly could for them to take my crazy, wild Darren hair and turn it into the slick, stylish Blaine hair. Getting these curls to cooperate was no easy task.

"Knock, knock," I called out as I pushed open the department's door. The three older looking women in the room looked up and smiled at me, while the fourth, who was much younger, probably in her teens, squealed when she saw me.

"_Ohmygoshyou'reDarrenCriss_!" she exclaimed all in one breath, jumping up and down excitedly.

"Now, now, Taylor," one of the women, the tall one with the faded blonde hair, scolded. "Settle down. If you're going to act like this with everyone who walks through that door, then we may have to suggest that you be reassigned."

"Oh, no!" the young girl called Taylor panicked. "I'll settle down, I will. I promise." Then she very calmly turned to me and stuck out her hand.

"My name is Taylor Eberthorn," her smile was so wide that it very nearly reached from one side of her face to the other. "It is such an honour to meet you!" I smiled as I took her hand and shook it.

"It's nice to meet you, Taylor," I smiled back. A small squeal escaped her throat as I spoke, her free hand quickly clamping itself over her mouth as if to try to cover the noise. I tried to let go of her hand, but she remained clinging to mine.

"Ummm, you can let go now," I laughed lightly. I could feel her reluctance as she finally did so, a light, dreamy sigh falling from her lips. She proceeded to then stare at the hand that I had shook, mumbling something to herself about never washing it ever again...

"Taylor, I think that you and I should take a little walk," the blonde woman said softly, slowly guiding the younger girl past me and out the door.

"That's the second one today," one of the other woman sighed, shaking her head. She was shorter, with deep auburn coloured hair. "Sorry about that. It's so hard to find good, serious help for these types of shows. You have no idea how many crazy _Glee_ fans we've turned away. This is why I said that we should have hired assistants months ago, before all the crazy "I want to touch his or her hair" fans found out." This last comment was directed at her companion, a heavily tanned woman with extremely dark brown hair.

"And I never disagreed with that!" she exclaimed. "But you never did anything about it, and it wasn't my job to hire people!"

"Are you two fighting again?" the blonde haired woman was back. "I'm so sorry about all of this... Darren, right? We're usually a lot more organized than this."

"That's alright, Miss..." I paused, realizing that I didn't know her name.

"Camille," she smiled, shaking my hand. "Just call me Camille."

"It's nice to meet you," I smiled back.

"Such a charming young man!" she laughed, turning towards her companions. "That's Laura," she pointed at the dark haired woman.

"Laura," I shook her hand.

"And this is Zayna," she pointed at the auburn haired woman. "Zayna will be doing your hair and make up today."

"Good luck," I laughed, shaking her hand as well. "You're going to need it."

"I've had worse," she laughed, ruffling her fingers through my hair. "Yes, this will be no problem at all. When I am done with you, you will be a new man!"

And twenty minutes later, she was right. As I stared into the mirror, the man looking back at me was not Darren Criss, but rather Blaine Anderson, a stylish, hair-gel loving, ex-Warbler, someone who was proud of who he was and wasn't afraid of taking chances. Someone who wasn't afraid of asking someone out...

_But I'm not afraid to ask Kaley out..._ I told myself. _Or am I? No, I'm not! We're just going for ice cream, no big deal! Besides, she's the one who suggested it in the first place, not me. So I'm not really asking her out, I'm just taking her up on a previous offer. Yeah, that's it... _

I sighed. Who was I kidding? I actually was nervous to ask her out.

_But you're not "asking her out", _I argued with myself._ Because that would imply a date and it's not a date. It's just two friends going for ice cream... Ugh! Why do feelings have to be so complicated?_

I looked at my reflection again, finding the courage there to leave the room and go find Kaley.

_If Blaine can do it, you can do it._ This was what I kept telling myself as I made my way down the hallway towards Kaley's workroom. I slowed as I got closer, taking deep, steady breaths. I wiped my suddenly sweating hands against my pants, wanting to look natural when Kaley saw me. Taking one last deep breath, I stepped into the doorway.

I watched as if in slow motion as Kaley's head turned towards me and a smiled spread across her lips. My heart suddenly did something funny in my chest and for a second I was breathless.

"Well, hello there, Blaine," she laughed. "You haven't happened to have seen Darren, have you?" I could tell that she was being silly, teasing me. "We've been wondering where he's at." She gestured to her left, my eyes following her directions, and I suddenly realized that we were not alone.

Chris sat perched on top of one of the tables, still sipping his coffee, with Leah sitting beside him, folding a pair of black skinny jeans that I recognized as mine. Chris raised an eyebrow at me, all the while smiling as he guessed at what I was about to do. Well, it was now or never.

"Actually, I have seen him," I stated, turning my attention back on Kaley. "He was looking for you to ask if you wanted to go for ice cream between shows today."

A sigh escaped from her lips and I wasn't prepared for her sudden response.

"I can't."


	17. Chapter 17: The Only Exception

_A/N: Thank you to all of my awesome readers and commenters, especially **kawaii01** & **iluvklainebows**. Your reactions to the last chapter made me giggle :) I love how enthralled you guys are by my story :) Please continue to comment :) I absolutely LOVE seeing your reactions :-p  
_

_Hope that you enjoy this chapter and don't forget to comment! New chapter out soon!_

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Chapter 17 - The Only Exception

**Darren's POV**

"You can't?" her reply caught me off guard. "But why not?"

"Darren," she sighed, beckoning me further into the room. "What would you usually do between shows?"

"I don't know," I replied, scratching my head as I thought.

"Exactly!" she exclaimed. "You don't have anything that you have to do between shows. I do. We've only got a few hours to freshen everyone's clothes for the next show, which means that I don't have any free time to spare. As much as I would love to go with you today, I just can't. I have to think about my responsibilities first."

"Can't Leah just do it by herself, just this once?" I knew that my question was kind of selfish, but at that moment I didn't really care. I had been looking forward to this outing and now it was being ripped away from me.

"You know that I can't do that," she sighed. "That wouldn't be fair to Leah, and with the time constraint that we have, we'll need all the time that we can get. Can I take a raincheck?"

"I guess," I sighed, feeling my lip pout slightly.

"No, you should go," Chris' voice suddenly piped in. "You go, and I'll stay and help Leah."

"You will?" we both turned to him, surprised by his offer.

"Sure," he smiled, leaning over and bumping Leah with his shoulder. "I don't mind helping this one with some laundry. As long as she doesn't mind..."

"I'm totally cool with that," Leah jumped in quickly, smiling at Chris. He gave her a quick, little wink, causing her to blush. She quickly brought her hand up to cover her mouth, giggling slightly.

_Is he flirting with her?_ I wondered with surprise. I looked at their relaxed stances and how close together their bodies were sitting, noticing that neither seemed uncomfortable with being so close to one another.

"Besides," Chris continued, turning his attention back on me. "I have some free time since it's not likely that I'd be going with you. I know that you guys probably don't want a third wheel on your _date_."

"It's not a date!" I exclaimed, frustrated with Chris. _Why must he continually insist on it being a date? _He gave me a surprised look, raising his eyebrows at me as his eyes darted back and forth between me and Kaley and I instantly caught on to his meaning.

_Oh crap, _I thought as I turned to her. She had a kind of hurt, dejected look on her face. Had she thought it was a date?

"I mean, like, it's not a _date _date," I stammered, a little flustered. "If you call two friends going for ice cream a date, then sure, it's a date." Chris just rolled his eyes at my attempted cover up.

"I'm sorry, Kaley," Chris said, taking over. "I tend to label any type of outing as a date, a bad habit which Darren has been trying to help me break. And sometimes he speaks before he thinks, so him telling me off might have come across as rude, but please don't think that it was because of you. He's just trying to help me."

_Just like you're trying to help me,_ I thought, smiling at him.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Kaley," I turned back to her. "I really wasn't thinking when I said that. I didn't realize how it might have sounded to you."

"That's okay," she smiled tentatively.

"So, ice cream?" I tilted my head slightly as I looked at her and was rewarded with a bigger smile.

"It's a date," she laughed, turning to Chris. "The_ friend _kind of date, not a _date_ date."

"Thank you for the clarification," he laughed, giving me a side glance. I mouthed the words "thank you" to him and he gave me a slight nod as if to say, "uh huh, you're welcome".

"So," I called Kaley's attention back to me. "Did you need any help taking clothes back to the dressing rooms?"

"I would _love_ your help," she smiled at me.

"My help?" I acted surprised. "Oh, no I was going to go find someone else to help you..." I started to turn away as if heading towards the door.

"Darren!" Kaley exclaimed with a laugh.

"Yes?" I asked innocently, turning back slightly. She just rolled her eyes at me, crossing her arms over her chest while giving me a look that said "really?", her eyebrows slightly raised.

"I'm teasing," I laughed, turning the rest of the way back around. "Of course I'll help you."

"Leah, are all of _Lea's_ clothes done?" Kaley asked, laughing slightly as she turned to her friend.

"Yes, _Lea's_ are done," Leah laughed as well.

"Alright, then I guess we'll start with hers," Kaley decided, picking up a pile of neatly folded clothes from one of the tables. "Here." She handed the pile to me before turning and picking up another small pile. Then she walked over to a clothing rack and took two dresses off of it.

"Alright, let's go," she smiled, turning back to me.

"After you," I smiled, gesturing towards the door.

I followed her out the door, glancing back once at Chris, who was already deep in conversation with Leah. With a roll of my eyes, I continued following Kaley down the hallway.

"So, are you nervous at all for today?" she asked, briefly glancing back over her shoulder at me.

"For the show?" I asked. "Nah, I'm a theatre veteran. I'm used to being on stage."

"I'm a theatre veteran too, but I still get nervous before I go on stage," Kaley commented. "I'm always afraid that I'm going to forget a line or miss my cue or something."

"You do theatre?" I was surprised.

"I used to, before I moved," she replied with a shrug. "Mostly just musicals at my school or plays for my church. Nothing huge. Nothing _Glee _concert huge."

"Musicals?" I sped up till I was beside her so that I could see her face. "Do you sing?"

"Everyone can sing," she laughed. "But how well they can sing, well that's another story." I couldn't help but laugh as well.

"But to answer your question, yes, I can sing," she continued. "But I hardly sing around anyone anymore, with the exception of Leah."

"Why not?" I asked.

"You ask a lot of questions," she laughed.

"All the better to get to know you with, my dear," I replied, slightly referencing _Little Red Riding Hood_. She laughed briefly, but quickly became serious.

"It's just..." she trailed off with a deep sigh. "It's just that I'm afraid of being judged by people."

"Judged?" I echoed, furrowing my brows questioningly.

"I'm a very insecure person," she revealed, her voice soft and quiet. "You know how they say that you can get a thousand good comments, but yet it's the one bad comment that you get that you always tend to remember? Yeah, that's the story of my life."

"Oh? How so?" I urged her to continue.

"Well, I got the lead in a show once," she sighed. "And I found out that one of my supposed friends was complaining about it, saying that she was a much better singer and was better suited for the part than me. It was a real blow to my confidence, you know?" She stopped suddenly, turning towards me.

"Kaley, I-" I began, but was cut off as a door opened behind me.

"Oh, hello, Darren," a familiar voice exclaimed.

"Hi, Lea," I laughed, turning around.

"And who's this?" she asked, looking past me at Kaley.

"This is Kaley," I smiled, turning my body slightly to include her in the conversation.

"Oh, so _this_ is Kaley!" she exclaimed, a smile spreading across her lips. "Chris was right! She is a cutie!"

I felt heat suddenly flush my cheeks, embarrassed by Lea's bold, outright comment. I turned to Kaley to apologize and was surprised to find that I wasn't the only one who was embarrassed.

Kaley's cheeks were turning red.


	18. Chapter 18: Sing!

_Hey guys, sorry I've been MIA for a while. I've been swamped working on my final project for my summer course that I took, but now I am back in action! Shout outs to new follower **Samcro-princess20** and favouriter **ChoppedAndScrewed**. And a huge thank you to my lovely commenters **iluvklainebows**, **cassidycmr**, and **Ilikemutemath** (I'm assuming that Guest was you). To answer your questions/comments, **iluvklainebows**: that's an idea I've been playing around with :-p we can all dream, can't we? And** Ilikemutemath**: I don't know, maybe :-p_

_As an apology for being MIA for so long, I will be posting a short, three chapter contest submission that I did on a different site (I didn't win sadly) in which I had to pair Blaine and Tine together. But being a hardcore Klainer (or as I like to call them, Blurt), I struggled with having Blaine with be someone else, but I think I took an interesting twist on it. It's called **Take My Breath Away**. Hope you like it! :-p  
_

_And as always, I hope that you enjoy this new chapter! Please don't forget to comment! New chapter up soon! Here's a spoiler: It's going to be the ice cream date! (finally right?) :-p_**  
**

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Chapter 18 - Sing! 

**Kaley's POV**

_Oh my gosh! Did Lea Michele really just say that? _

I could feel my cheeks flushing and I instantly went to duck my head to hide my face, but it was too late. Darren had already turned towards me and seen my bright red cheeks.

"Lea!" Darren exclaimed, turning back to her.

"Oh, sorry!" Lea exclaimed, extending her hand to me. "I'm Lea Michele." Was she oblivious to what she had just said? She seemed unphased, as if her comment hadn't just embarrassed me.

"Kaley, Kaley Grant," I replied, quickly maneuvering the clothes in my arms so I could take her hand. She had very soft hands and my mind instantly flickered back to a video that I had watched on YouTube where Mark Salling had commented that Lea had cute hands.

_I guess that you could call them cute,_ I thought as she pulled her hand away. _If you thought hands were cute, I guess. _I just shrugged the thought off, looking up at her face instead. She had beautiful, deep brown eyes and luscious, dark brown hair that fell past her shoulders. Her bangs were cut straight across, Rachel style, helping to frame her lightly tanned face. Her perfect lips, which were darkened with a shade of red lipstick, were turned upwards into a smile. A smile directed towards me.

"It is such an honour to meet you," I finally managed to sputter. "I sing along to all of the songs that you do on _Glee_ all the time."

"So you do sing," Darren commented.

"Yes, but not around people," I brushed his comment aside.

"Oh, a fellow singer!" Lea smiled. "Sing something for us!"

"N-No," I shook my head. "No, no, no. I don't sing in front of people anymore, especially not when they're cast members of _Glee_! I am no where near as talented as you guys!"

"Oh, come on!" Lea insisted, grabbing my hand and pulling me into her room. "I've got a stereo in here, so we can put on something and sing along to it."

"No, please, I can't," I was starting to panic. I looked back at Darren, desperately willing him to help me.

"Lea, wait," Darren finally called out. "We shouldn't force her to do something if she doesn't want to do it." I felt myself relax at Darren's words.

_Thank you for understanding, _I mentally thanked him.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Lea exclaimed. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable!"

"It's okay," I smiled hesitantly, setting down the clothes in my arms on a nearby table. "Honestly, the only way that you could get me to sing in front of people would be if I was drunk, and I don't get drunk."

"You don't?" Darren sounded surprised, mimicking my actions by putting his pile down beside mine.

"I don't drink," I shrugged. "Partly because I'm not even legally allowed to here yet, and partly just because I choose not to. I've never gotten drunk and I never plan to."

"Really?" Darren exclaimed. "Well, we're going to have to fix that someday."

"Why?" I asked, slightly surprised and confused.

"Well, it's obvious, isn't it?" he looked back and forth between me and Lea, his face earnest as if he wanted us to guess. "I want to hear you sing!"

I felt my heart stop for a second. Darren Criss actually wanted to hear me sing? I was almost tempted to open my mouth and sing for him right there and then, but I held back from doing so, afraid that my voice wouldn't be good enough, that it would disappoint him because he expected so much more from me.

Instead, all I did was smile and say, "Well, good luck with that!"

"Mark my words, Kaley Grant," he declared, pointing at me. "I will get you to sing for me, if it's the last thing I do!"

"Yeah, right," I rolled my eyes at him, laughing slightly.

"All cast members to the green room now please," a voice announced over the P.A. system.

"Probably another pep talk from Ryan," Darren sighed, his hand reaching up to his hair as if he were about to run his fingers through it, but he stopped himself just in time.

"Opps, can't do that!" he laughed, dropping his hand. "Zayna would kill me if I messed up my hair after she spent so long fixing it!"

"We'd better go," Lea said, linking her arm through Darren's and pulling him towards the door. "We don't want Ryan to get mad at you for being tardy again!"

"Funny," Darren just rolled his eyes at her. "I'll see you a little later, Kaley! If not before the show, I'll definitely see you after! I'm looking forward to that ice cream!"

"Bye, Kaley," Lea smiled back at me, giving me a small wave. "It was nice to meet you!"

"You too!" I laughed. "Have fun guys!" And then they were gone.

Now that I was alone, I turned my attention back on the forgotten piles of clothes still sitting on the table. I pulled my iPod out and set it on shuffle, putting my earbuds in as I started to hang Lea's clothes back on the clothing racks. I hummed along to the first song for a couple seconds, then decided that I didn't really want to listen to that one, so I hit skip. Lea's voice filled my ears as _Don't Rain On My Parade _started playing.

Once I had finished hanging up all of the clothes, I headed off back down the hall towards the laundry room. The hallway was empty, so I gradually began to sing out loud as I walked. I was fine with singing out loud as long as no one else was around to hear me.

I can't remember when exactly I became so paranoid about people hearing me sing. I used to be totally fine getting up and singing in front of an audience, especially after being in so many musicals, but then I just suddenly couldn't do it anymore and I have no clue why or when it happened. All I know is that it happened at some point and now if I thought that someone could hear me, I would instantly stop singing... Well, with one exception: Leah.

I think that we had bonded over not being comfortable singing in front of people, which somehow allowed us to be comfortable singing in front of each other. I don't know why that worked out the way it did or how it makes sense, but we've just come to accept it because it allows us to be able to sing in front of at least one other person besides ourselves. It also made it easier to sing a duet song when you had two people singing. I couldn't help but smile as I thought about the endless nights that Leah and I would dance around our apartment, belting along to our favourite _Glee_ songs.

"_Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade_!" I belted suddenly, instantly reacting by quickly clamping my hand over my mouth. I hadn't realized how loud I had gotten. I guess thinking about belting out songs with Leah had caused me to actually belt out while I was quietly singing along to this one.

I quickly glanced around, checking to see if anyone was nearby, all the while thinking,

_I hope nobody heard me..._

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**Darren's POV**

Sitting in this green room was the last place that I wanted to be right now. I wanted to be back in Lea's room, hanging out with Kaley, uncovering more of her secrets, rather than being stuck here listening to Ryan talk on and on about how awesome today's show is going to be.

_Can't it just be four o'clock now?_ I wished as I stared up at the barely moving hands on the clock on the wall. I could almost taste that ice cream on my tongue.

"_Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade_!" the voice suddenly slipped in through the open door, making my body instantly tense up. It was just loud enough for me to hear, but not loud enough to catch everyone's attention. The voice was only noticed by the people sitting closest to the door and that was me, Chris, and Lea.

"Hey, it's my song!" Lea whispered, nudging my side.

"Isn't that-" Chris started to say.

"It's her," I stated with confidence, cutting him off.

"Who?" Lea asked, feeling a little confused and left out. I hadn't told her about the mystery singer. It was a secret between just Chris and myself... Until now.

"We don't know who she is," Chris filled her in quietly, trying to not draw too much attention to us. "We heard her singing once, but we haven't been able to find out who she is. It's been driving Darren crazy cause he thinks he's fallen in _love_ with her voice or something."

"I have not!" I objected. "I just think that she has a really nice voice and I'd like to know who she is."

"Obsessed," Chris coughed, a smile flickering on his lips.

"Ooooo! Darren's got himself a crush!" Lea teased, poking my arm annoyingly.

"That's it!" I exclaimed, moving to stand up. "I'm going to end this mystery now!" I would have dashed out the door right that second if Chris hadn't held me back.

"Don't," he warned, grabbing my arm. "If you bolt out of here now, Ryan will kill you. He's already grumpy, so you don't want to push his buttons, not now when we're so close to the show going up."

"But she-" I sputtered, reaching longingly for the door.

"She will still be here somewhere once Ryan is done," Chris sighed. "We will find her, Dare, I promise you, we will."

"Fine," I sighed, slumping back down into my chair. I tried to focus back on what Ryan was saying, but my attention kept drifting back towards the open door, one question repeatedly running through my mind.

_Who are you? _


	19. Chapter 19: Somewhere Only We Know

Chapter 19 - Somewhere Only We Know

**Kaley's POV**

"They're on their last song," Leah commented slyly, nudging me repeatedly. I just ignored her, focusing instead on the shirt that I was folding as I listened to _Don't Stop Believin' _play quietly over the speaker system. We had decided to collect everyone's Act One outfits during the intermission to get a jump start on the laundry so that Leah and Chris wouldn't be totally swamped while I was gone.

"I said, they're on their last song," Leah repeated, nudging me a little harder.

"What, can't wait to get rid of me so that you can have Chris all to yourself?" I teased.

"How did you know?" she gasped loudly. It was so overly dramatic that it caused both of us to break out into a fit of laughter.

"But seriously," Leah said once we had settled down. "Aren't you excited for your date?"

"It's not a date," I rolled my eyes at her. "He doesn't think of me that way."

"Kaley, it is _totally_ a date!" Leah exclaimed. "He's totally into you!"

"How do you know?" I sighed.

"I've got a sense for these things," she smiled.

"Sure you do," I laughed, rolling my eyes again. "So tell me then, Miss Senser, is Chris into you?"

"Well, I... Uh..." she sputtered, caught off guard by my question.

"Just what I thought," I laughed. "If you can't even tell if your own guy likes you or not, then how can you say that mine likes me?"

"Because it's just one of those best friend things where I just know!" she exclaimed with a huff.

"But how do you know?" I argued.

"I just know!" she exclaimed again, getting frustrated with me.

"But-" I started.

"Oh girls, you're so silly!" a voice came from the doorway. We both looked up to find Chris leaning casually in the doorway. Neither of us had noticed that the song had ended, allowing Chris to be able to sneak up on us.

"H-How long have you been standing there?" Leah asked nervously, as if she wasn't totally sure that she wanted to know the answer.

"Oh, long enough," he laughed, giving her a little wink which caused her to blush.

"Ready for your date?" Chris asked, turning his attention on me.

"Chris..." I added a warning tone to my voice.

"Oh sorry," he laughed, walking over to stand beside Leah. "Ready for your date that's not a date though it totally really is a date date?"

"Chris!" I exclaimed.

"I'm not taking that back, hun," he smiled, his eyes twinkling mischievously at me.

"Whatever," I rolled my eyes at him as I stood up from where I had been sitting on the floor, brushing the dirt off my pants as I did so. I turned and picked up the pile of folded shirts that I had been working on and set them up on the table.

"Hey," his voice suddenly filled my ears.

"Hi," I smiled, turning around to face him. And there he was, leaning oh so casually in the doorway, clad in a sexy white polo shirt that was slightly unbuttoned at the top, exposing the lightly tanned skin on his chest, and faded blue jeans that had scattered tears along the legs. I felt my heart skip a beat as I looked at him. It was moments like this that I remembered why I was so attracted to him. He was gorgeous.

"You ready to go?" he asked, a smile lingering on his lips.

"Yeah, sure," I managed to sputter when I found my voice again. "Let's go." I walked over and met him at the doorway, turning back for a second to say goodbye to Leah and Chris.

"Bye, guys!" I waved.

"See you later, Kales!" Leah waved back.

"You two have fun!" Chris smiled, his eyes flittering back and forth between us.

"Oh, we will," Darren replied before I could. "Shall we?" He offered me his arm, which I very nervously took. He was quite the gentleman.

"So I called Steven and asked him to meet us out back," Darren told me as we left the room and walked down the hall.

"Why the back?" I asked, trying to focus on what he was saying, though my mind kept drifting back to the fact that our arms were touching.

"Seriously, Kaley?" he sounded surprised. "Have you ever been to one of our concerts before?" I shook my head. Though I had always wanted to, I had never gotten the chance to go to one.

"Well," he continued. "There will be fans all over the place out there and if they see us together, well, they may get the wrong idea..."

_And what's wrong with that?_ my mind subconsciously thought.

"Plus, they would totally just freak out in general if they saw me walk out of here," he went on. "I've literally had fans chase our limo down the road and follow us for five blocks before we finally lost them. Ice cream's supposed to be fun and relaxing, not crazy, screaming fan-filled. I want ice cream, not I scream."

"Then I'm sure that you will love this place," I laughed. "They're a small little shop, independently owned, so not many people really know about them, but they have really good ice cream at really reasonable prices."

"Sounds great," he smiled at me. I had to force myself to look away to prevent myself from drooling over his gorgeously charming smile. We had reached the back door by this point, which Darren opened for me, and we soon found ourselves standing beside the long, black limo that I had ridden home in last night. Steven was there in an instant, opening the door for us to get in, and, taking a deep breath, that was exactly what I did.

* * *

**Darren's POV**

She seemed a little nervous getting into the limo, though I wasn't really sure why. I had thought that we had been doing better, getting more comfortable and relaxed around each other. But then again, I had never been in such close contact with her before.

_Not since the day you first met,_ my mind subconsciously reminded me. I hurriedly pushed away all thoughts of that day, not needing to be reminded of our bad first impressions, but the memory of Kaley's scared and shocked face when I had grabbed her arm that first day persisted to flash through my mind. I fought this memory with the thought of her arm touching mine only moments earlier. I smiled as I thought about how warm and comfortable her arm had felt against mine.

_It felt... right,_ I realized, smiling at the thought. Being around Kaley just felt right.

"Sir?" Steven's voice broke my thoughts, bringing me back to the real world. He was looking at me with a concerned and puzzled expression, and I suddenly realized that I was still standing outside of the limo.

"Oh, right," I laughed, getting into the limo.

Kaley had already scooted over to the far side of the limo and was currently looking at a notebook... _MY_ notebook. I hadn't realized that I had left it in the limo this morning.

"These are really good," she said suddenly, looking up from the small pad of paper. She was talking about some of my more recent lyrics that I had been working on. The songs weren't done yet, having been stuck with a kind of writer's block, so I carried them around with me in case I got inspiration for what to write next.

"Yeah, those are kind of private," I blushed, taking the notebook from her hands. I had started writing a new song last night that had kind of been about her, not that I would admit that to anyone. Not to Chris and especially not to Kaley.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, staring back down at her now empty hands. "I didn't know."

"That's alright," I smiled hesitantly as I slid the notebook into my back pocket. "I probably shouldn't have left it lying around." Her smile was just as hesitant.

"So," I broke the awkward silence that had developed between us. "Tell me something that's interesting about Miss Kaley Grant."

"Something interesting?" she remarked, blinking with surprise. "I don't know what's all that interesting about me... Ummm, well, what do you want to know?"

"Well, where are you from?" I asked. "You never did tell me."

"I'm actually from Canada," she replied with a slight smile. "The last city that I lived in before moving here was Toronto. Before that, I lived in a couple of smaller towns. I guess that you could say that I'm a country girl at heart, seeing as I was born and raised in a little hick-town. What about you?" I felt my eyebrows raise in surprise. I knew that Kaley was a fan, so I had kind of figured that she would have already known a lot of stuff about me.

_Unless she's just being polite, _I thought to myself. I considered this idea for a moment, but then just shrugged it off. Either way, Kaley was still waiting for a response.

"I was born and raised in San Francisco," I told her, relaxing back into my seat. "I now live in L.A. since I kind of need to be close to my work place."

"Oh my gosh, I would love to see the _Glee_ set someday," Kaley blurted suddenly, her cheeks turning red only seconds later.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, looking very embarrassed. "I didn't mean to have a gleeking fan moment in front of you..."

"It's alright," I laughed. "I'm used to people _gleeking_ out around me."

"I know, but I told myself that I wouldn't ever do something like this in front of you," she confessed, hiding her face behind her hands. "I'm so embarrassed!"

"Kaley," I sighed with a light laugh, gently peeling her fingers away from her face. "It's fine. Don't worry, okay? I thought that it was kind of cute. There's nothing to be embarrassed or sorry for." Her big, brown eyes looked up at me and a small smile crept onto her lips. Her eyes suddenly dropped back down again, back to her hands... hands that I was still holding. I hadn't even noticed that I had still been holding them.

"Oh, sorry," I exclaimed, pulling my hands away.

"I-It's fine," she stuttered, her fingers finding a loose strand of hair to fiddle with. It was kind of cute how she did that when she was nervous.

"So why move to New York, country girl?" I asked, adding in a light bit of teasing with the new nickname.

"I told you, Leah and I moved here to pursue our dreams," she replied, crinkling her nose at the nickname.

"Which are...?" I persisted.

"Leah wanted to get into theatre, acting and stage managing." she shared. "Me, I wanted to be an author, write stories for a living... But so far that's not looking so bright for me."

"Chris just published his first book," I commented. "Why don't you have him take a look at your work? He could give you some tips or something."

"I would love that... if I actually had anything to show him," she sighed. "I'm kind of stuck in a bit of a writer's block right now... I was hoping that a change of location would help inspire me, but so far I've had no luck."

"Wait, wait, wait," I blinked repeatedly, shaking my head slightly. "So you've been here for a year and you haven't written _anything_?"

"Well, no," she sighed. "I've written some stuff, but nothing worthy of being published or even read by anyone else."

"How do you know if you won't even let anyone read anything?" I argued. "You are your own worst critic. You may feel like something that's yours is not good enough when, in reality, it could be the greatest thing the world has never seen!"

"Well, that was oddly inspiring," she laughed, a smile creeping back onto her face.

"Inspiring enough to let me or Chris read your work?" I asked, hopeful, a smile trickling onto my own face.

"Mayhaps," she smiled slyly at me.

The limo suddenly slowed to a stop and the glass separating us from Steven lowered.

"I've stopped a block away, like you asked, Miss Grant," he told us. I turned to Kaley, puzzled.

_When did you ask that?_ I wanted to ask, but she spoke before I could.

"I asked him before you got in," she explained. "While you were _daydreaming_." There was laughter in her voice and I realized that she was teasing me. I just rolled my eyes and held out my hand to her.

"Shall we?" I put my other hand on the door handle, ready to open it.

"We shall," she smiled, taking my hand. I was surprised by how soft they were as her fingers entwined in mine. I quickly opened the door and gently pulled her out behind me, never letting go of her hand. I was surprised once again by not only how natural this felt, but also the fact that she was actually letting me continue to hold her hand without pulling it away.

"Don't worry about waiting for us," I told Steven when his window rolled down. "It's a nice day. We'll walk back." I quickly looked back at Kaley to make sure that she was okay with that and she smiled, reassuring me.

"If you're sure?" Steven sounded hesitant. He was always so willing to be of assistance, so willing to please.

"I'm sure," I laughed. "See you later, Steven!"

"Good day, Mister Criss, Miss Grant," he nodded to us both as we began to walk away.

The street that we had stopped on was surprisingly empty, which I was thankful for. I was no stranger to having people react to seeing me get out of a limo and it was a refreshing change not to hear screaming girls every time that I stepped out of a vehicle.

"So, how far is this place?" I asked as we walked along the sidewalk.

"It's just up ahead," she laughed, pulling me along a little quicker. My fingers were still laced through hers, so I gave them a light squeeze. She seemed excited about going to this place.

Within minutes, she was pulling me into a small little shop with a sign that read_ Joe's Scoops_. A small bell jingled as we passed through the doorway.

"Hi, what can I... Kaley?" the voice came from an older woman behind the counter. Her greying hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, keeping it away from her lightly wrinkled face. Her lips were parted in a surprised expression that was mirrored in her pale blue eyes.

"Hi, Grace," Kaley laughed, giving the woman a small wave.

"Kaley! How are you!" the woman addressed as Grace exclaimed. "It's been a while! And who's this? Is this your boyfriend?" I instantly felt Kaley tense up slightly at this question, her hand suddenly pulling away from mine.

"N-No," she laughed nervously. "He's just a friend. Darren, this is Grace. Grace, this is Darren."

"How do you do?" I extended my hand over the counter top to shake hers.

"Darren... Darren..." she seemed puzzled by my name. "I know I've heard that name before..."

"Kaley!" a high voice squealed. Something suddenly bolted out of no where and crashed into Kaley.

"Hi, Talia," Kaley laughed, trying to detach the small, blonde-haired girl from her waist. The tiny girl must have only been twelve or thirteen or so. When Kaley finally managed to pull the young girl away from herself, the small girl's bright blue eyes fell on me and she let out another ear piercing squeal.

"Oh my gosh! You're Darren Criss!" she squealed, pointing at me as if I didn't already know who I was.

"That's where I've heard it!" Grace laughed.

"Talia, it's rude to point," Kaley told her, trying to hold back another laugh. "I don't think that Darren likes to be pointed at, do you, Darren?" She turned to look at me, her bright brown eyes sparkling with glee.

"I don't know," I pretended to act puzzled. "How does it make _you_ feel?" I proceeded to point my finger at the small girl, which resulted in another squeal to escape from her lips.

"Darren Criss just pointed at me!" she turned back to Kaley, jumping up and down with excitement. "_Darren Criss just pointed at me_!"

"Talia, I think it's time for you to go back upstairs," Grace said suddenly.

"But, Grandma-" she started to protest.

"No buts," Grace cut her off. "You've still got chores to finish and a bag to pack. Your mother will be here soon to pick you up and I know for a fact that you aren't ready yet."

"But-" Talia whined.

"Now, Talia!" Grace's voice was strict. With a loud huff, very clearly stating how she did not want to go, she turned to leave, stopping only for a second to tug on Kaley's shirt. Kaley bent down so that Talia could whisper something in her ear, to which Kaley nodded, and then she disappeared suddenly as quickly as she had appeared.

"Sorry about that," Grace smiled at us as we turned back to her. "My granddaughter is a huge _Glee_ fan. It's all she talks about, night and day. She will never stop talking about this now."

"Sorry," I shrugged. I couldn't help being me.

"It is what it is," Grace shrugged as well. "So what can I get for you two?"

"Ummm, give me something random," Kaley said after a moment's thought. "Surprise me." I gave her a questioning look, to which she just shrugged and said, "I like to be spontaneous sometimes."

"Alright," I laughed, turning my attention back to Grace. "I'll have a random too."

"Two randoms, coming right up!" she laughed, turning away to get her scoops.

"So, it seems to be that you're no stranger to this place," I commented, turning my attention back to Kaley. She blushed slightly, ducking her head, a reaction that I was starting to get used to.

"I worked here for a little while when I first moved here," she confessed. "But they unfortunately had to let me go because they just couldn't afford to have many people on their pay roll. But I don't begrudge them or anything for it. I loved my time working here and I try to come here as much as I can to support them. They're like my little family, my home away from home."

"Order up!" Grace said suddenly, drawing our attention back to her. "Chocolate Monkey for Kaley and Moose Tracks for her... _friend_." She eyed Kaley, giving her a look that said, "I don't believe that you two aren't dating."

"Thanks, Grace," Kaley sighed, rolling her eyes at the older woman, as she accepted one of the cones from her. I took the other one, thanking her for it before turning and following Kaley over to a table by the window.

"This has always been my favourite spot to sit when I come here," Kaley said as we sat down. "I like watching the people walking by, so oblivious to the world around them..." She trailed off suddenly, starring out the window, a thoughtful look taking over her face. She seemed so peaceful that I didn't want to interrupt her. And luckily I didn't have to. Someone else did.

"Kaley, is that you?" the deep voice caught both of our attentions. Kaley turned her attention away from the window, a smile spreading across her face as she saw the owner of the voice.

"Joe!" her face was practically beaming as she lept up and hugged him. I slowly turned my attention towards this "Joe" person and I suddenly started to feel something that I had not felt in many years. It had been so long since I had felt like this that it actually took me a minute to realize what it was.

I was jealous.


	20. Chapter 20: Crush

_Hey guys, sorry it took me so long to update! I was in a rush to post the last chapter so I didn't get to do my shoutouts!  
_

_Shout outs to my amazing commenters:_** _iluv__klainebows_ **_x2,_ ** _kawaii01_**_ x2. Also shout out to whoever the_ **Guest **_was that posted on chapter 17. Thank you for all of your love and support of this story 3_

_Welcome to_** _HippyElephant_ **_to this story. Please don't be shy. I'd love to hear your thoughts :)_

_And as always, I hope that you enjoy this chapter! :-p_**  
**

* * *

Chapter 20 - Crush

**Kaley's POV**

"Joe, how are you?" I could not even describe how happy I was to see my old friend. He had not changed a bit since I had last seen him, which had been almost eight months ago.

He was still super tall, with the same long, shaggy black hair that fell into his bright, hazel eyes. He had grown some stubble on his chin, which made him look more manly. That, and his muscles, muscles that were much larger than I remember them being.

I had totally had a crush on him when I had worked here, but he had had a girlfriend at the time, so _we_ were never an option. And then he had left for half a year on a mission's trip to Africa. Guessing by the dark tint to his skin, I would say that he just got back only recently.

"I've been good, terrific actually," he smiled, very charmingly to be honest. "Hi, I'm Joe Thomas." His attention had turned on Darren, whom I had momentarily forgotten about. Darren did not look happy at all for some strange reason.

_Why is he so angry?_ I wondered as I watched him begrudgingly introduce himself to Joe. _He seemed fine a minute ago..._

"It's nice to meet you, Darren," Joe was saying as I turned my attention back on him. "And as I was saying, I'm terrific. I just proposed to Ashley and she said yes! I'm seriously the happiest man in the world right now!" I couldn't help but feel a little saddened by his comment, though I truly was happy for him.

_It's like how I felt when I found out that Kevin Jonas was getting married,_ I laughed inwardly. _Sad and jealous, yet totally happy for him that he had found the person that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with._

"I'm so happy for you!" I smiled at Joe, my eyes briefly flickering back to Darren. He seemed less tense now, the smile on his face less forced.

"Congratulations," Darren said.

"Thanks," Joe beamed. "I gotta getting going, but I'll see you around? Sorry bout interrupting your date!"

"It's not a d-" I started to say, but he was already gone. That was one of the things that had always bothered me about Joe. He was really bad at walking away in the middle of a conversation.

"So," I turned my attention back on Darren. "Where were we?"

"We were having ice cream," Darren smiled.

"Oh really?" I laughed. "So is that why I have an ice cream cone in my hand?"

"It could be possible," he winked at me, bringing a huge smile to my face. Joe leaving had brought back Darren's fun, flirty side. I still didn't understand why Darren had acted so weird when Joe had showed up, but instead of dwelling on it, I just shook it off, focusing on the moment now instead.

"So besides coming for ice cream," Darren started to say, pausing to lick his ice cream. "What do you do for fun?"

"For fun?" I echoed his words back to him. "I honestly don't even know... Write, I guess, or try to at least. Watch movies, read books, explore New York. I don't know. Typical stuff, I guess. You?"

"When I'm not working?" he started, his eyebrows furrowing as he thought. "Well, I like to read sometimes too. I absolutely love the _Harry Potter _series. J.K. Rowling is a genius, in my opinion... You have read _Harry Potter_, right?" I nodded, though it was only half true. I hadn't read all of the books yet, but I had seen all of the movies, so I figured that was close enough to count.

"I play video games sometimes," he continued. "But most often I play and write songs, usually on my guitar, but sometimes on a piano if there's one around."

"I would _love_ to hear you play sometime," I sighed dreamily. "I absolutely _love_ the sound of a guitar. I don't know, maybe it's my country background kicking in, but, in my opinion, nothing beats the sound of a single, acoustic guitar. Nothing."

"Really?" he seemed surprised.

"It's just so... real, you know?" I continued. "It's just so pure and natural. So... _magical_. I feel the same way about pianos sometimes too. Seriously, I could probably just sit and listen to someone play a guitar or piano all day and not get bored."

"I'll have to keep that in mind," he smiled at me.

We continued chatting, about random things, for a little while until I noticed that Darren was starting to seem less and less comfortable.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, noting how he was shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"What?" his attention snapped back to me, his eyes big and confused.

"Are you okay?" I repeated, getting a little worried. Had I done something to bug him? Was he getting bored of spending time with me?

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," he forced a smile. "Just a little anxious to get moving again. I'm not very good at staying still for very long."

"So I've noticed," I laughed, watching his hands move as he talked. Seriously, I don't think his hands were ever still when he was talking. "Do you want to go?" His eyes quickly glanced out the window before he nodded.

"S-Sure," he seemed really nervous. "But don't we have to pay for these?" He started to pull out his wallet.

"No, it's my treat," I stopped him, starting to stand up. "Oh, and before I forget, Talia wanted to get your autograph. Is that okay? We can give it to Grace when we leave."

"Yeah, that's no problem," he smiled, pulling out his notebook from his back pocket. "You go pay, and I'll do this."

"Alright," I smiled back, turning away to go see Grace.

"How much do I owe you?" I asked her once I reached the counter.

"No charge," she smiled. "It's on me."

"Grace," I sighed. "You know I can't let you do that." I proceeded to put a five dollar bill up on the counter.

"Two dollars a cone, right?" I asked, pushing the bill towards her. She just rolled her eyes and nodded her head yes.

"Keep the change," I told her, starting to turn away.

"So Darren seems like a nice guy," Grace commented, making me turn back to her.

"Yes, he is," I sighed. "But we're just friends."

"And why do I have a hard time believing that?" Grace asked, a smile still lingering on her lips.

"We are just friends," I sighed. "I've only known him personally for a couple of days. That's not really enough time to establish any real feelings for each other."

"I don't believe that," Grace argued. "I fell in love with my husband the moment that I met him. That love-at-first-sight ideal isn't false. It does happen."

"Well, not to me," I sighed. I didn't want to talk about this anymore, so I quickly changed the subject. "So, Joe and Ashley, eh?"

"Yes," Grace smiled. "That boy is quite smitten with her. It's too bad that nothing happened between you two though..."

"Grace!" I exclaimed, surprised by her very blunt comment.

"What can I say?" she shrugged. "I would have loved to have you as a granddaughter... or step-granddaughter... or however that works out." I laughed, slightly flattered by Grace's comment. It was hard being so far away from my real family sometimes and Grace had always made me feel so welcomed in hers.

"I already feel like I am sometimes," I admitted. "You really are like family to me, all of you are."

Behind me the door to the shop jingled as it opened, and I heard the voices of two people deep in conversation enter the shop. I didn't bother looking to see who it was. I probably even didn't know them, and it was rude to stare at people when they walked in. I always hated it when people would stare at me so why do it to other people?

"I should probably getting going," I told her. "Darren's probably getting impatient waiting."

"Alright, well, come back and visit soon, okay?" she replied, starting to turn her attention away to her new customers. "What can I get for you two today?"

I turned away and headed back for the table where I had left Darren. I was so lost in thought that I almost passed right by it.

_How could I have missed it so easily?_ I wondered as I turned back to the table.

And then I realized how. It was empty. Darren was gone. And all that was left on the table was two pieces of paper. One had his autograph on it, dedicated to Talia, while the other only had one word on it: _Sorry_.

* * *

**Darren's POV**

I felt horrible just leaving her there, but I couldn't let them catch us together. I saw my chance to slip out when an older couple came into the shop. They were so concentrated on each other and their conversation that they didn't even notice me grab the door and smoothly slip through it before it hit the bells again.

I only had to walk a couple of steps down the sidewalk before they caught up with me.

"Darren, Darren, who was that that you were with?"

"Darren, is that your new girlfriend?"

"Darren, how are you recovering from Vanessa leaving you?"

They swarmed me with questions, just as I knew that they would. Taking a deep breath, I began to answer their questions.

"She was just a fan who wanted my autograph when I stopped in for ice cream," I lied. "And I'm doing fine, especially since I'm the one who left Vanessa. She didn't leave me. I left her."

"Darren, if this is true, then why were you crying the night of your break up?" one of them asked.

"We all have our bad nights," I told them. "I never cried over her. More than one thing can happen in a night to upset you. Honestly, I'm glad that Vanessa and I are finally over."

"What happened to make you cry?" now the questions were getting way too personal for my comfort.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have time for any more questions," I said, starting to back away from them. "I have another show to do tonight, so I have to get back to the theatre." I turned and briskly walked away from them. A few of them tried to follow me, but I quickly lost them in the now busy street that I had entered. Once I was sure that there were no more paparazzi following me, I pulled out my phone and texted Kaley.

Me: _I am so sorry for leaving you like that. Paparazzi found me somehow. Had to get rid of them._

Kaley:_ ... Ok... But you didn't have to ditch me to get rid of them..._

Me: _I had to. If they saw us together, they'd make assumptions, and after my break up and all, I just don't want to have to deal with any of that right now._

Kaley: _... So now what?_

Me: _There's a _Starbucks _on _7th Ave_. Meet me there?_

Kaley:_ ... Ok. See you soon._

I slid my phone back into my pocket as I started to head towards the coffee shop that I could see down the street. I had to think of something to make it up to Kaley for ditching her back there.

_But what?_ I wondered. _What can I do?_

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

I closed my phone with a loud sigh, quickly sliding it back into my pocket. This "date" had taken a not-so-pleasant turn, much to my displeasure. Things had been going so well between us and then he had just ditched me.

My phone suddenly started to play the _Kim Possible _ringtone, signaling that I was getting a phone call. I hurriedly pulled it out, looking at the name that appeared on the screen. It was Joe.

"Hello?" I said as I placed the phone to my ear.

"Hey, Kaley," Joe's deep voice flowed into my ear. "Sorry to interrupt you again, but someone wanted to say thank you..."

"THANK YOU, KALEY!" Talia's voice suddenly screamed into my ear. I quickly pulled my phone away from my ear, wincing at sudden increase in volume.

"You're welcome, Talia," I laughed, bringing the phone back to my ear. I had left the autograph with Grace, who had obviously given it to Talia.

"Is Darren there?" she asked eagerly. "Can I talk to him?"

"No, sorry, Talia," I sighed. "Darren had to run off, so he's not here to talk to you right now."

"Is he your boyfriend?" she asked, a hint of anger, yet also a little bit of curiosity in her voice.

"No, Talia," I sighed once again. Why did everyone assume that we were together? "No, we're just friends."

"Huh... Okay," her voice was lighter and peppier again.

"Can I have my phone back?" I heard Joe's voice in the background.

"But-" Talia whined. There was a slight bit of rustling on the other side of the phone and a high-pitched, unhappy squeal from Talia.

"No fair!" she pouted. Then I heard a door slam.

"Sorry about that," Joe's voice was back.

"It's alright," I laughed. " I know what it's like. I have siblings too."

"Alright, well, I guess I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing," Joe said. I could hear the slight smile in his voice and I instantly knew what he thought I was doing.

"Joe-" I started to say.

"I'll talk to you later!" Joe cut me off. "Bye!" The line went dead between us and I knew that he had hung up on me. I just kind of stared at my phone for a second before letting out a deep sigh. He really was horrible at just leaving conversations.

My attention suddenly turned back to where I was heading. I looked up and saw a sign that read _7th Ave_.

_I must be getting close..._ I thought as I continued walking.

"Umm, excuse me," I caught the attention of a dark-haired woman walking past me. In her hand she held a _Starbucks_ cup.

"How far is it to the _Starbucks_?" I asked her. She tilted her huge, black sunglasses down and proceeded to look me up and down, raising a judgemental eyebrow at me. I suddenly became very self conscious of what I was wearing. Compared to her sleek, black, probably designer dress, I looked like a slob. I was wearing loose fitting blue jeans that had a huge hole in the left knee and a navy blue, slightly baggy, band t-shirt.

"It's up ahead," she finally told me, pointing briefly back in the direction that she had just come from as she put her sunglasses back up to cover her eyes. She was giving off the very snobbish vibe of "why are you talking to me?" Then, with a toss of her hair, she strutted away.

_Probably a supermodel, _I thought, rolling my eyes at her as she walked away. Pushing her out of my mind, I turned and continued down the street, spotting the _Starbucks_ only moments later. And there, sitting at one of the tables outside, was Darren, sipping from a _Starbucks_ cup.

As I got closer, Darren finally spotted me. He quickly stood up and walked over to meet me.

"I didn't know what you would have wanted," he said, motioning towards his cup.

"It's fine," I told him. "I don't drink coffee." The look he gave me was priceless. He was staring at me as if I had grown another eyeball on my forehead and it was winking at him.

"I just don't like it," I said before he could speak. "I've never been a fan of coffee. I'm more of a green tea with honey kind of girl."

"I could probably get you that," he said, starting to turn towards the _Starbucks_.

"It's fine," I grabbed his arm, stopping him. "I don't need anything. I'm fine, really." He seemed hesitant, looking back at the _Starbucks_ briefly before looking back at me and I suddenly realized that he was looking for ways to make it up to me for ditching me earlier.

"I don't want anything," I told him sternly.

"Well then, it's on to Plan B!" he smiled.

"Plan B?" I laughed. He just smiled, stepping out towards the road.

"Taxi!" he called out, holding up his arm. A yellow cab suddenly pulled up to the curb and Darren opened the door.

"After you," he smiled, giving me a slight bow. I felt a giggle in my throat and had to cover my mouth with my hand to try to keep it from coming out, but I was unsuccessful. It slipped from my lips as I slid into the back of the taxi cab. Darren's smile was huge as he slid onto the seat beside me, glad to have made me laugh.

"Where to?" the driver asked.

"Just drive," Darren told him. "We're sightseeing." He turned to me. "That was something that you said you liked to do, right? Explore New York?"

"You were listening," I commented, surprised.

"Of course I was," he smiled, his eyes twinkling at me.

The cab started moving and New York suddenly began to fly past us. I don't know how long we spent driving up and down random streets, pointing out various sites to each other, but when my eyes finally happened to flitter across the watch on my wrist, my heart almost stopped.

"Driver, take us to Radio City Music Hall," I blurted anxiously. "As fast as you possibly can!"

"What's wrong?" Darren asked. I could almost feel the worry and concern emanating from him. I showed him my watch. It read 6:30.

The second show went up in_ half an hour_.


	21. Chapter 21: All By Myself

_I cannot express how much I love you guys and your comments :) They make me smile so much :) This chapter was actually harder to write than I thought it would be. Ryan is not an easy person to write for... I want to be true to who they are because I love and respect them so much, and it's hard because I want to portray them right.  
_

_Anyways, onto shout outs! Shout outs to my AMAZING commenters,_** _Ilikemutemath_**_, **iluvklainebows**, & **kawaii01**._**  
**

_NEWS! I've been posting this story on sites other than this and one of my followers on another site gave Kaley and Darren the CUTEST couple name ever and I really wanted to share it with you guys too. She called them **Daley**. Isn't that cute? Now I can make jokes about getting daily Daley updates :-p  
_

_Anyways, Hope you enjoy this new chapter! More to come soon! Thanks for continuing to read and comment!_

* * *

Chapter 21 – All By Myself

**Darren's POV**

I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my body as we bolted out of the cab, Kaley's hand tightly gripping mine. I don't even know how much money I had given the driver, but seeing as he didn't call out after us, he wasn't complaining about it. I had most likely given him a fairly nice tip.

"Time check!" I called back to Kaley as we hurried into the building through the back door.

"6:50," she replied, panic lacing through her voice. I had ten minutes to get changed, get my mic on, and be ready to go onstage.

"_Darren Criss_!" Ryan's very angry voice made us stop in our tracks. We turned to face him and I could tell that he was furious. His face was red with anger and his eyes were blazing. I could almost see flames dancing in them.

"_Do you realize what time it is_?!" his voice was quiet but full of anger.

"Ryan, you can scold me later, but right now I have to go get changed," I said, turning away from him to head down the hall.

"_Nine minutes, Darren!_" he called out after me. "A word, _Miss Grant_." I felt Kaley's hand slip from mine. I looked back at her, worried, but she shooed me away.

"Go," she said, pushing me away.

"But-" I started, not wanting to leave her to deal with Ryan alone.

"Go!" she pushed me harder this time. "You don't have time to argue! Now go!" With a sigh, I turned and left her, my stomach churning with dread as I imagined what Ryan was going to say to her...

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

The word _terrified_ did not even begin to describe how scared I was to turn around and face Ryan. He was super mad at Darren, and they worked together. How mad was he going to be at me? He barely even knew who I was.

I took a deep breath before turning around to face the man who had invented the show that had changed my life.

"Mr. Murphy," I began, my mind frantically trying to think up some reason why he shouldn't have me fired.

"I don't want to hear it," he cut me off. My heart caught in my chest. This was it. He had always been a very blunt, straight-to-the-point kind of guy. He was going to fire me.

"Miss Grant, I am ver-" he started to say.

"Kaley!" Vicky's voice suddenly cut him off. "There you are! We've been looking _everywhere_ for you! I need you Stage Right immediately to help with last minute mic adjustments." She grabbed my arm and started to pull me away. Ryan started to say something, but Vicky just cut him off again.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Murphy, but I need my employee _now_," she said, very dismissive like. "Whatever you need to talk to her about can be done after the show. Right now, I need her." Vicky quickly led me away without another comment to Ryan.

I could not believe that that had just happened. I had been moments away from being fired, but had been saved at the last second... But I wasn't completely out of the fire yet.

"Vicky, I just wanted to tell you that it's been an honour working with you," I told her as she led me towards the stage. "I cannot thank you enough for this experience." My voice cracked as I spoke, causing Vicky to stop suddenly and turn to look at me.

"Kaley, why are you telling me this?" she asked. "That's something that you would say on the last day of the show... Kaley, what's wrong?"

"I'm afraid that this may be my last day," I confessed, trying to hold back the tears that were pricking my eyes. "I think that Ryan's going to fire me."

"Why?" she seemed genuinely concerned, so I continued.

"It's my fault that Darren's late," I told her, a tear breaking through and trickling down my cheek. "I almost put the show in jeopardy and now Ryan hates me and is going to fire me!"

"Oh, Kaley!" Vicky pulled me into a hug. "It's okay, hun! I won't let that happen. I was the one who hired you and I am the _only_ one who can fire you, okay? And I'm not going to fire you. You are a good worker, Kaley. We all slip up sometimes. I'm not going to penalize you for that." I was surprised by how understanding and caring she was. I barely knew her, yet she was comforting me like a mother would her child. Stage Manager's were usually very strict and weren't the kind of people to stand for any kind of nonsense in their theatre, yet I was seeing a very different side of Vicky.

"Why are you being so kind to me?" I asked through sniffles. "So understanding?"

"You remind me of a younger version of myself," she admitted, starting to lead us towards the stage again, her arm resting gently around my shoulders. "Heaven knows I've made many mistakes in my life, but if we let those mistakes knock and hold us down, then we'll never be able to reach our true potential."

"I'm not going to penalize you for this, Kaley," she said as she pushed open the Stage Right door, her voice softening as we passed through it. "Just learn from your mistakes and try to not make the same ones twice, okay? That, and learn to keep better track of your time." A teasing smile spread across her lips and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Yes, Ma'am!" I promised, nodding.

"Alright, Kaley, why don't you help Darren with his mic pack?" Vicky's comment caught me off guard. I looked up and found myself looking at a very _Michael Jackson _looking Darren. I honestly think that he had just pulled off the world's fastest costume change.

"Hey," I whispered as I walked over to him. Since we were Stage Right in what were called the "wings" of the stage, we had to be very quiet so that our voices wouldn't travel out into the audience.

"Hey," he smiled at me. He seemed surprised, yet very relieved to see me. Maybe he thought that Ryan was going to fire me too.

"Need some help with that?" I pointed to the mic pack that he held in his hand.

"Sure," he said, giving it to me. I carefully threaded the mic down the back of his shirt, trying to not completely freak out as my hand brushed against his bare skin. He lifted his shirt slightly so that I could secure the mic pack into his mic belt. I struggled to focus, my hands shaking slightly, as I worked to fit the mic pack into the belt. My hand brushed against the bare skin of his back again, sending chills down my spine.

"Th-There," I stuttered, taking a slight step back. "A-All good." He slowly lowered his shirt, fixing it slightly before re-adjusting his mic headset.

"Perfect," he smiled, his eyes lighting up as he looked at me.

"Two minutes to curtain!" someone whispered.

"Gotta go," Darren whispered, starting to turn away to take his position on the stage behind the curtain.

"Darren?" I grabbed his arm, making him turn back to me. His eyebrows raised in question, waiting for me to continue. He looked so cute in that moment that I almost forgot what I was going to say. "Umm, uh... Oh! Break a leg!"

"Thanks," he smiled, pulling me towards him. His arms were suddenly around me, lightly squeezing me, and then they were gone, as quickly as they had appeared.

"See you after the show!" he whispered, turning and carefully stepping out onto the stage, quickly taking his place center stage behind the curtain. I stood there frozen for a couple of seconds, unable to move.

A pair of hands were suddenly on my shoulders, steering me away from the stage and back out into the back hallway. I let them led me away, still slightly stunned from what had just happened.

"Hello, earth to Kaley!" a pair of fingers suddenly snapped in front of my face. I blinked, and suddenly Leah's face appeared before me. "Are you in there, Kaley?"

"Oh, shush," I laughed slightly, batting her hand away as I started to break from my trance.

"You okay?" she asked, slightly laughing as well. "You looked as if you had just been tasered with a stun gun."

"I think I might have been," I admitted. Leah gave me an inquiring look, urging me to continue.

"I just got my first ever hug from Darren Criss!"

I didn't get to see Darren after the show. Ryan had pulled him aside as soon as the show was done. Luckily, Ryan did not ask to speak with me again. I assumed that Vicky had already talked to him, told him that he couldn't fire me or something like that. But that didn't stop him from taking his anger out on Darren.

Even after Leah and I had finished all of the costumes for the night, I had still not seen or heard from him. Leah finally convinced me to leave with her, though I would have rather stayed and waited for Darren.

I barely saw or spoke to him the following day either. I only saw him in passing in the halls, but he would never stop to chat. I was beginning to feel worried that I had gotten him into so much trouble that he never wanted to speak to me again, until in one of our passings, he slipped a folded piece of paper into my hand.

I waited until I was back in the laundry room to open it, stopping just inside the door. I slowly opened the folded paper and read the words printed across it.

_I am so sorry, Kaley. Ryan was __**really**__ mad after what almost happened last night and now he basically won't let me do anything that's not show related. He's so serious about this that he even told me that I'm not even allowed to talk to you. I guess he couldn't fire you for some reason, so he's doing whatever he can to make sure that there will not be a repeat of last night's incident, even if that means ruining my friendships. This hopefully shouldn't last for too long though. We'll just have to keep our distances for a little while until Ryan cools off. _

_I'm sorry,_

_Darren_

I folded the paper back up with a sigh, pushing away from the doorway and heading over towards one of the clothing racks.

Well, that was just great. Not only was Ryan Murphy mad at me, but he had forbid Darren from seeing me. Was he even allowed to do that?

_I guess he is Darren's boss,_ I thought to myself. _So Darren has to listen to him if he doesn't want to get fired. _

"That would be perfect!" a familiar voice silently squealed. "She's going to love it!" That was Leah's voice.

"I'm sure that he'll do it," another familiar voice whispered back. "They've become so close. I don't see why he wouldn't want to." That was Chris' voice. But what were they talking about? And why were they being so quiet, so...

_Secretive,_ I realized, stepping closer to where I had heard their voices coming from. The floorboards squeaked under my feet, annoyingly alerting my presence to my two friends.

"What was- Oh, hello, Kaley!" Chris' head poked out from behind one of the clothing racks.

"Kaley, when did you get back?" Leah's voice was slightly worried as she walked out from behind the rack.

"Only like a minute ago," I told her. "What were you two talking about?"

"Nothing!" they both blurted simultaneously. They looked at each other and then broke out laughing. I smiled, happy for Leah that she had become such close friends with her idol.

"It was nothing," Leah said, turning back to me. "Just some me and Chris stuff." She winked at me and I just rolled my eyes and shook my head at her. She was loving this way too much. But could I really blame her? Becoming friends with Chris was a dream come true for her just as much as Darren becoming friends with me was a dream come true for me.

"Whatever," I rolled my eyes at her, trying to push away the nagging feeling in the back of my mind that Leah was hiding something from me.

That nagging feeling grew throughout the day as I kept catching them huddled together talking, instantly breaking away from each other whenever I showed up. I couldn't even talk to Darren about it because he wasn't allowed to be around me.

For the first time in years, I felt very alone with no one to turn to, no one to talk to.

_I only hope that things will get better tomorrow..._ I sighed as I sat in the laundry room alone. _Tomorrow is the one day that I really don't want to spend alone..._

* * *

**Darren's POV**

Not being able to talk to Kaley was killing me, but what Chris was asking me to do would hopefully make up for everything.

"So will you do it?" he asked me eagerly.

"Of course I will!" I laughed. "You don't have to ask me twice! Screw Ryan! He can't stop me from doing this!"

"Good," Chris smiled, squirming slightly with excitement. "Make sure that you're here early tomorrow then, okay? No sleeping in, got it?"

"Yes," I sighed with a laugh. "No sleeping in. I got it."

"Good," Chris smiled again. "If you oversleep, I will personally drag you, kicking and screaming, from your bed. No joke. We want this to be perfect."

"Alright! Alright!" I laughed. "I promise that I will get up, okay?"

"Alright," he nodded successfully. He had done what he had come to do, so he took his leave, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

_I can't believe that she didn't tell me that it was tomorrow,_ I thought to myself. _Why didn't she tell me?_


	22. Chapter 22: Perfect

_A warm welcome to new subscriber,_** _jazzhandz_**_. Please don't be shy. I'd love to hear what you think of the story :)_

_Good job to both **iluvklainebows**__and_ **_kawaii01_** _for guessing what special day it was :) I love your guys' reactions to Ryan, but please don't hate on him. I respect him way too much to have hate for him come out of this. He did help create Glee after all. But ya he can be very strict and blunt sometimes and that's the side that I chose to work with, because, in show time, things get very stressful and I believe that he really would react like that... well maybe :-p _

_And it's okay,_**_iluvklainebows_**_, we've got you another dose coming right! :-p I really loved writing this chapter and I hope that you guys enjoying reading it just as much :D Don't forget to leave a comment letting me know which parts made you die with laughter and which parts made you scream like a little girl :-p_

_One last comment, I just found out that I've been added to the Darren Criss fanfics Community, to which I am so honoured. Thank you to all of my amazing readers for your continual love and support :)_

* * *

Chapter 22 - Perfect

**Kaley's POV**

I slowly opened my eyes, stretching my arms as I let out a deep, relaxed yawn. Sunlight trickled in through my small window and fell across my bed. I blinked, wincing slightly, as the light hit my eyes.

"Leah," my groggy, morning voice called out. There was no response. I turned and looked at the digital clock on my bedside table. It read 10:05. Leah probably wasn't up yet. We had agreed that we could sleep in today since we had gotten all of the costumes done last night.

Still, it was time that I should get up, so I reluctantly rolled out of bed, quickly slipping on my blue monkey-print housecoat and my fuzzy blue slippers.

I slowly made my way down our short hallway, another yawn escaping my lips.

"Leah," I called out again, knocking heavily on her door. There was still no response.

"Leah?" I slowly opened her door and peeked in. Her bed was empty and her PJs from the previous night were lying abandoned on the floor.

"Leah?" I was starting to get worried. I continued down the hallway to the kitchen. She was not there either. I checked every room in our small apartment, but she was nowhere to be found.

I quickly returned to my own room and pulled my phone off of its charger. The screen lit up, showing that I had two new texts. The first one was from Leah. It read: _Gone for breakfast with Chris :) See you at the theatre! 3 Don't be late! Haha :p_

I rolled my eyes as I exited out of her text, turning my attention on the second message. It was from my dad.

Dad: _Happy Birthday, sweetheart! Your Mom and I love and miss you so much! Our baby girl is all grown up! Hope you have a great day! Love you! :) _

I smiled, sending him a quick before closing my phone.

Me: _Thanks Dad. I love and miss you guys too! 3_

At least someone had remembered. I was actually kind of hurt that Leah had ditched me on my birthday to go out for breakfast with Chris. Like yes, I understand that we are talking about _Chris freaking Colfer _here, but aren't friends supposed to be there for each other? Guys have that whole bros before hoes thing, so shouldn't it be sis before Chris?

"Yeah, no, that won't happen," I laughed to myself. "Leah loves Chris _way _too much to go for that."

I left my room and trudged back down the hallway, heading towards the bathroom to start preparing for the day.

_My day,_ I smiled to myself. _Today is my day, even if no one else knows it._

* * *

**Darren's POV**

"_GET UP!" _a high voice yelled in my ear. I winced, then grumbled loudly as my blankets were ripped away from my body.

"I swear I will do it, Darren," the voice threatened. In response, I groaned and hid my head under my pillow. "Can't say I didn't warn you..." A pair of hands suddenly wrapped around my ankles and yanked hard, pulling me very roughly off the bed. The next thing I knew, my face was impacting with the carpet on the floor.

"_CHRIS!_" I gasped, turning to glare up at him.

"I told you that I would," he replied with a slight smirk. "_Kicking and screaming_, remember?" I rolled my eyes at him, exhaling a loud huff to inform him of how displeased I was. He just ignored me as he continued to speak.

"So now that you're awake, it's time to get moving," he said, turning towards the closet that we shared and opening it. "The limo will be here in ten minutes to pick us up, so you'd better hurry. Here, this looks nice." He laid down a navy blue t-shirt and a pair of black jeans on my bed.

"I can pick out my own clothes, Chris," I mumbled as I begrudgingly got to my feet and walked towards the closet.

"Nope, you don't have time," he argued, steering me towards the bathroom. "You have nine minutes." He pushed me into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I looked at myself in the mirror and groaned. My hair was a total mess, worse than it usually was. Combine hair gel and sleeping and it does not look pretty.

"Eight minutes!" Chris called out from the other side of the door. I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't see me do it, and turned on the shower, quickly stripping before stepping into it. The warm water lightly hit my bare skin, its slight coolness helping to wake me up, and I closed my eyes as I let it roll down my body. I sighed as it flowed across my skin.

"Seven minutes!" Chris' voice called over the gentle pounding of the water. With another sigh, I reached for the shampoo. I would much rather take my time, or better yet still be sleeping, but I knew that I had to get moving and pick up my pace.

_I can't be late, _I reminded myself as I lathered my hair with the shampoo._ Not just because I have to get there before Kaley does, but also because Chris would kill me if I made him late for this._ A small smirk twitched on my lips.

_And I'd really like to not die today,_ I chuckled to myself. _Cause then I'd miss out on Kaley's birthday and I just can't do that. It is her day after all. _I liked how that sounded. It was her day.

_Yes, it's her day, _I smiled as I rinsed the shampoo from my hair. _And I'm going to make sure that it's the best one that she's ever had!_

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

The moment that I walked into the theatre I knew that something was off. It was way too quiet, especially considering the fact that the first show of the day went up in just an hour and a half. I quickly pulled out my phone and texted Leah.

Me: _Hey, where are you? Did the show get cancelled or something? It's so dead in here! _

Leah: _I'm in the black box. Chris is showing me how to do the dance for _Born This Way_! :D_

Me: _Sweet! Think he'll teach me too? :-p _

Leah: _Haha of course he will! :p_

Me: _Alrighty I'll be right there! :-p _

I closed my phone and slid it back into my pocket, quickly heading towards the black box. The door was closed, which was unusual because it was usually left open, and I cautiously opened it, surprised to find myself entering a dark room.

"Leah?" I called out into the darkness. Suddenly the lights turned on and a multitude of voices were yelling "_Surprise!_" at me. My mouth dropped open in surprise as I looked around the room. Everyone was here: all of the crew, all of the employees, even everyone in the _Glee_ cast was here. I was literally speechless.

Leah was instantly by my side, linking her arm through mine and pulling me further into the room.

"Surprise!" she whispered in my ear. I slowly looked at her, still in a slight state of shock. Her face lit up with a smile as she saw my expression.

"I _knew_ you'd be surprised!" she grinned as she led me over to a table in the middle of the room where a very busy Chris was lighting the candles on a very large cake. Once he had finished lighting all twenty-one of them, he took a step back to let me stand in front of it. It was a large, rectangular cake with white icing and blue lettering that read: _Happy Birthday Kaley! _

"And a one, and a two, and a-" I heard Chris say softly. I slowly looked up to find everyone gathered around on the other side of the table in front of me and suddenly they began to sing.

"_Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you!_" I was honestly freaking out inside. The cast of _Glee_ was singing _Happy Birthday _to me!

Suddenly the group of people in front of me parted down the middle to reveal a guitar-wielding Darren.

"_Happy Birthday, dear Kaley,_" he sang alone as he strummed his guitar, a smile lighting up his face.

And then everyone else suddenly joined back in for the last line, "_Happy Birthday to yooooou!_"

"_And many mooooore!_" Darren's voice rang out at the end. The whole room filled with applause and cheers. I had finally passed through the shocked stage and now my eyes were filling up with tears and I had to bite my lip to keep them from spilling out. I turned to face Leah who was still standing beside me.

"You did all of this for me?" I asked her, my voice cracking slightly.

"That's what best friends are for," she nodded, smiling. I felt a tear roll down my cheek and I threw my arms around her, attacking her with a huge hug.

"This is the_ greatest _present that you could ever give me!" I whispered in her ear. "Thank you so much!" I broke away, quickly wiping away the tears in my eyes.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Darren's voice called out suddenly. "Make a wish and blow out your candles!" I slowly turned back to the cake before me.

_What should I wish for?_ I wondered, looking up at the people around me. _I already feel like all my wishes have come true._

I felt Leah grab my hand and give it a light squeeze and I suddenly knew what my wish would be. Taking a deep breath, I leaned down and blew out the candles... or tried to at least. One solitary candle remained lit, flickering slightly as it glowed alone on the cake.

"Oooo, one boyfriend!" Leah exclaimed loudly enough for everyone to hear as she nudged me. She then lowered her voice and said, "I _wonder_ who that could be!"

"Oh, shush up!" I laughed, giving her a light shove which knocked her slightly off balance. I then quickly leaned down again and blew out the remaining candle.

"What'd you wish for?" Chris asked. I looked at Leah as I answered him.

"To be able to return the favour and make their special day just as perfect," I replied, ideas already churning in my head. I smiled, feeling so blessed to have such amazing friends.

"So," I turned back to the people before me, the smile still lingering on my lips. "Who wants cake?"

* * *

**Darren's POV**

Kaley's face was absolutely priceless. The pure surprise and happiness that was plastered across her face totally made up for having to get out of bed early that morning.

And the look on her face when I sang to her? I smiled as I thought about it. That was just perfect. It seriously could not have gone more perfectly.

I quickly made my way over to where Kaley, Leah, and Chris were standing. Leah and Chris were busy cutting and handing out pieces of cake to some people while Kaley was being hugged by others. When she finally noticed me standing nearby, she quickly made her way over to me.

"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, moving as if to hug me, but then stopping suddenly as if she was unsure if she could just hug me.

"You're welcome," I replied, reassuring her by opening my arms to her. She entered my embrace and I gave her a light squeeze. It felt so nice having her there in my arms that I almost didn't want to let go.

"Hey, save some of that hugging for the rest of us!" a familiar voice exclaimed. Kaley broke away from me and turned around to see who had spoken. I chuckled as I realized who it was. It was none other than Mark Salling.

"Happy Birthday, Birthday Girl!" he smiled as he gave her a big bear hug, lifting her off the ground slightly. This caused a small, surprised squeal to escape Kaley's throat and Mark laughed as he set her back down. As he stepped away from her, I noticed that her cheeks had gone slightly red and she quickly ducked her head shyly.

"I can't believe that I'm meeting you right now," she admitted shyly, afraid to meet his eyes. "Are you really the bad boy that everyone says you are?"

"No," Mark replied, his face suddenly becoming very serious. "I'm worse." He said it will such an intensity that he caused Kaley to take a slight step back away from him. There was an awkward silent minute as he just stared at her, his face very dark and serious, before he suddenly broke out in laughter.

"I'm just kidding ya," he grinned. I smiled, knowing this joke of his. He made the same joke constantly, but we never got tired of it because it was just so amusing to watch his face change so quickly from happy to serious. That, and watching other people's reactions.

"That's too bad," Kaley sighed, her eyes suddenly peering up at him very... almost seductive-like. "I'm _really_ into bad boys." I felt my stomach churn uncomfortably as she looked at him that way, but before I could make any comment about it, she suddenly cracked and started laughing.

Mark and I looked at each other, both of us slightly confused. He raised an eyebrow at me, to which I just shrugged and shook my head. I had no clue what had just happened here.

"I'm sorry," Kaley finally said when she stopped laughing.

"Ok, so I'm confused," Mark said slowly. "You're into bad boys?"

"You're not the only one who's good at acting," she replied with a sly smile. It took us both a second to comprehend her comment, but as soon as I got it, a smile spread across my face, Mark's face mirroring mine seconds later.

_So Kaley has a sense of humour,_ I noted. I just kept finding more and more things that I liked about her.

"I like her," Mark commented to me. "You're pretty cool... Kaley, right?" She nodded, still smiling, but more shyly now. "Well, Kaley, since you're into _bad boys_, you should give me a call sometime and I'll show you what a _real_ bad boy can do." He took her hand and wrote something on it with a pen that he pulled out of his pocket, giving her a quick, playful wink before slipping away to go talk to other people. When she turned back to face me, I noticed that she was biting her lower lip. She kept glancing back down at the ink on her hand as if she didn't quite believe that that had just happened.

"So is this birthday everything that you thought it would be?" I asked her, drawing her attention back to me. She smiled as she looked at me.

"No," she replied with a shake of her head. "It's even more."


	23. Chapter 23: Cry

_Finally got a new chapter up! It would have been up sooner, but I was having problems with my internet :( But now I'm back and rolling! I even have a new story that I'm going to post shortly (so keep an eye out for that :-p) It's a kind of TGP fan fiction. If any of you are fans of the show, then you might be familiar with the music video/trailer that they did last week on Actability week, which was called Perfect. I loved the story behind the trailer so much that I decided that I was actually going to write the story :) I've finished the first chapter, so it should be up soon. _

_Shout outs to my amazing commenters, **kawaii01** & **iluvk****lainebows**! I love you guys so much and I love hearing your feedback! 3 **iluvklainebows** I had to reread your comment twice because when you said that they handed you cake I thought that you had mistyped something but once I got it, it made me laugh :-p I love how excited your reviews are :) They always make my day :)_

_I hope that you enjoy this new chapter. Sorry if it kind of jumps around a little. I wrote different parts at different times, so my emotions were in different places at those times, but hopefully it flows good. Hope you enjoy it! Don't forget to leave your comments and thoughts! And please check out my new story, **Perfect**! :)_

* * *

Chapter 23 - Cry**  
**

**Kaley's POV**

"Alright, party time's over!" Ryan announced. I looked down at the half-eaten piece of cake in my hands and frowned. I had been having such a good time and Ryan just had to go and ruin it.

"There is only one hour until show time," Ryan continued now that everyone's attention was on him. "So that means that you all had better get moving! You cannot keep your fans waiting!"

Though I was sad that the party had to end, we all knew that Ryan was right. I felt a hand on my arm and I turned back towards its owner.

"I'll see you after the show?" Darren asked, hopeful.

"What about what Ryan said?" I asked him, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear nervously.

"What about it?" Darren smiled, raising a playful eyebrow at me.

"Aren't you not supposed to be around me?" I argued playfully. "I'm a _bad influence_, remember? We don't want to make the same mistakes twice."

"Phooey on Ryan!" Darren exclaimed. "Today is your day, so screw whatever he says! He can't stop me from hanging out with you."

"I'm glad," I replied. "Darren?"

"Ya?" he cocked his head slightly to the side.

"Thank you," I said softly.

"For what?" he asked, furrowing his brows at me slightly.

"For being my friend," I replied with a light smile. "You didn't have to, but yet here you are, blowing off your boss just to hang out with me. Your friendship really does mean the world to me." His eyebrows furrowed slightly every time I said the word_ friend_, which confused me a little. Did he not think of us as friends? If we weren't, then what were we?

_I know what I wish we were,_ I sighed to myself._ But he'll never feel the same way for me. _

"You don't have to thank me for that," Darren replied finally. "I really do enjoy hanging out with you and being your... _friend_." He paused for a second, his face plastered with confused emotions, and after a second he opened his mouth to speak again.

"Kaley, I-" he began.

"Come on, Darren!" Chris exclaimed suddenly, linking his arm through Darren's. "We've gotta go get ready! See you after the show, Kaley! We're dedicating this one to you!" He beamed at me before turning and starting to pull Darren away. Darren looked back at me, his mouth opening again as if he was going to say something, but then it closed again and he just shrugged and smiled.

"I'll see you later, Kaley!" he called back as Chris led him out of the room.

"Don't you just love them?" Leah was suddenly by my side, staring at the door that they had just passed through. "I still can't believe that we're actually friends with them."

"Me neither," I exclaimed softly, a light chuckle slipping from my throat. "It all seems too crazy to be real sometimes."

"Well, it is real," Leah laughed, throwing her arm across my shoulders and giving me a quick side hug. "No one back home would ever believe us if it wasn't true."

"Can I see the pictures that you took?" I asked her, starting to head over towards the table where I could see her pink camera sitting. There was one picture in particular that I really wanted to see.

"What, you wanna see the one with you and Darren?" she teased me, grabbing the camera before I could.

"Leah!" I exclaimed, reaching for the camera. "Come on! Let me see it!"

"What's the magic word?" Leah asked, hiding the camera behind her back.

"Please?" I rolled my eyes as I over accentuated the word.

"Nope, wrong word," Leah smirked.

"Leah!" I laughed. "Give me the camera!" I moved towards her, trying to grab it from her, but she just danced away from me, quickly scooting around to the other side of the table.

"You want it?" she held the camera up, dangling it by its safety cord. I nodded.

"Well, come and get it!" she laughed, provoking me. I darted to one end of the table, but she just mimicked my actions by darting to the other end. I darted back the other way but she just copied me again.

"Leah!" I exclaimed with a huff.

"I'm sorry, but you didn't get the magic word right," she shrugged, still smiling playfully.

"Oh, hi, Chris!" I looked over her shoulder back at the doorway. Leah turned around sharply and I took the opportunity to dart around the table and snatch the camera from her hands.

"Chris isn't- Hey!" she exclaimed as I took it from her. "Cheater!"

"All's fair in love and war!" I laughed, leaning back against the table as I turned the camera on. I quickly flicked through the pictures, looking not for the one with me and Darren, but rather a very different one.

"Oh, _Mark Salling_," Leah teased, looking at the picture over my shoulder. "He really is cuter in person, isn't he?"

"He is," I agreed, looking at the picture. He had a very bad boy look about him that my parents would have never approved of, topped off by his short, dark brown mohawk that trailed down the middle of his head. His hazel eyes were closed in the picture but that was because he was in the middle of giving my cheek a very overly dramatic kiss. My mouth and eyes were both wide open with surprise and glee, playing along to the fact that he was kissing my cheek.

When he had first asked to take a picture with me, I had been caught completely off guard. I'm not going to lie, I had had a slight crush on Puck. Every girl crushes on a bad boy at some point in their life and mine had been Puck. But that crush was long before Darren had entered the show as Blaine.

"Oh, look at Darren's face!" Leah exclaimed, pointing to the top left corner of the picture. I zoomed in on the spot that she was pointing to and was surprised to find a very grumpy looking Darren. "Oh my gosh, he is totally jealous!"

"He is not!" I laughed, shaking my head at her. "He's probably just mad that Mark had interrupted our conversation."

"Yes, and why was he so mad?" Leah persisted, nudging me in the side.

"You are impossible," I huffed. "You know that, right?"

"Would you love me any other way?" she asked, smiling playfully. I just rolled my eyes at her and went back to flicking through the pictures.

"Exactly," she beamed successfully as she settled her head back down on my shoulder to look at the pictures again.

"Awww, don't you two just look adorable!" I exclaimed, stopping on a self-taken picture of Leah and Chris. "Wait a second!" I continued flicking through the pictures. "These ones weren't taken at the party..."

"Ok, that's enough for today!" Leah exclaimed, grabbing the camera from my hands and stepping away from me to turn it off.

"You two have been spending an awful lot of time together..." I commented teasingly.

"Yeah, well, what else am I supposed to do now that you're always off with Darren?" she retorted.

"I don't know, wait for me to get back?" I joked. She just rolled her eyes at me.

"Well, I have a life too, you know," she laughed. "The whole world doesn't revolve around you."

"It doesn't?!" I gasped. Leah rolled her eyes at me again, a small chuckle escaping her lips.

"Not on this planet," she replied with a smirk.

"Captain, set a course for Mars," I spoke into my watch before looking back up at Leah very seriously. "We shall transfer to _Pigfarts_ immediately!" Leah just shook her head and face-palmed as I started to sing the _Pigfarts_ theme song.

"_Pigfarts! Pigfarts! Here I come! Pigfarts! Pigfarts! Yum! Yum! Yum!_"

"Okay, I think that someone has had too much cake," Leah laughed, clamping her hand over my mouth to keep me from repeating the song again.

"Mmff!" I pouted, glaring at her.

"We are_ not _going to _Pigfarts_," she said sternly. "Now get your head out of the clouds and come help me clean up."

"But I'm the Birthday Girl," I whined once she took her hand away. "I'm not supposed to have to do any work today!"

"Sorry, Birthday Girl," Leah laughed. "But you're not getting any special treatment from me today! You're not getting out of helping me here and you're definitely not getting out of doing the dishes at home!"

"Dishes?" I echoed, confused.

"_Dishes for a week_, remember?" Leah smirked.

"Seriously?" I huffed.

"A bet's a bet," Leah replied, starting to collect the plates scattered across the table.

"Fine," I sighed, walking over to the other end of the table to start collecting the plates there. "Remind me not to lose a bet to you again."

_But at least losing this bet was worth it,_ I thought to myself as I picked up a plate with a barely eaten piece of cake on it. I smiled as I thought about my ice cream date with Darren. _Totally worth it._

* * *

**Darren's POV**

"Hey, Mark, can I talk to you?" I called out, noticing him further down the hallway. He turned back towards me, surprised.

"Yeah, what's up, man?" he asked once I had caught up to him.

"What's the deal with you and Kaley?" I asked with a hint of anger in my voice, surprising both of us.

"Kaley?" he seemed surprised by the question. "She's a cool gal and all, but totally not my type. Why? You into her?"

"No!" I replied a little quicker and sharper than I intended to. "I mean, no, we're just friends. I just don't want you leading her on if you're not even interested in her."

"I never said that I wasn't interested," Mark argued with a slight smile. "I just said that she wasn't my type. But hey, I gave her my number, so I guess it's up to her what happens next." He shrugged and started to turn away, but I wasn't done with him yet.

"You shouldn't be leading her on," I persisted. "She's a great girl... a really great girl, actually... and I don't want to see her get hurt."

"Chill, Darren," Mark laughed. "If it means that much to you, I'll back off. I didn't know that someone else had already called dibs on her." He turned and started to walk away again.

"But I didn't... I'm not... Ugh!" I huffed at his departing back. First Chris and now Mark. Why did everyone always assume things that weren't even true?

_Not that I wouldn't mind it being true... _I thought, smiling to myself. _Wait, what am I thinking! _I hurriedly pushed those thoughts away. _Kaley and I are just friends. Besides, it seems like she might be into Mark... _I let out a deep, heavy sigh. Why did that bother me so much?

_I need a distraction, _I thought to myself as I continued walking down the hallway. _I need some sort of distraction from all of this, from all of these confusing thoughts... _I had barely even thought this when my prayers were answered. The familiar yet unfamiliar voice floated softly into my ears, making me stop dead in my tracks. It was her. The mystery singer.

Without another thought, I took off running in the direction that I thought her voice was coming from, determined that this time I would finally figure out exactly who she was.

_You won't slip away from me this time._

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

"So, are you going to call him?" Leah asked, grabbing my hand suddenly and flipping it over to expose Mark's number.

"I might text him, or whatever, but call him? Probably not," I replied, shaking my head.

"Why not?" Leah asked, genuinely surprised. "After all, this is _Mark Salling _that we're talking about here."

"I know, but it was never Mark that I crushed on, it was Puck," I argued. "Like I'm sure that Mark is a much better guy than his character is, actually that's pretty much a definite, but my crush on him ended in season two, when you-know-who showed up."

"Blaine Anderson, aka Darren Criss," Leah grinned.

"Yes, but like I've said before, this crush isn't going to go anywhere," I sighed. "Darren probably only thinks of me as one of his fans. He'd never be interested in actually dating me. That would be a dream come true, but it's just that. A dream. And it's not going to come true."

"Kaley, why are you being so naive?" Leah blurted, clearly frustrated with me. "Why won't you just open your eyes and see what everyone else can very plainly see? Darren is into you just as much as you're into him!"

"Leah, please, not this again," I sighed, rubbing my temple. "It actually hurts sometimes, you know, trying to believe something that I know will never come true."

"You are impossible!" Leah exclaimed, turning and heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" I asked her, taken aback by her frustration with me.

"To find Chris," she said, pausing slightly in the doorway. "I'm going to prove that Darren is into you, Kaley. And that, my friend, is a promise." And then she was gone, leaving me standing there in the black box alone.

I let out a deep, frustrated sigh. Why wouldn't she just give it up? Darren was never going to feel the same way that I did.

To try to cool off my anger and frustration, I did the one thing that I knew could always cheer me up: I put on my_ Glee _music. I stuck my earbuds in and hit play as I continued to clean up the mess from the party. Within seconds, Chris' voice started to fill my ears and I smiled as I recognized the song.

_I've got thirty-six expressions_

_Sweet as pie to tough as leather_

_And that's six expressions more than all those, heh, Barrymores put together_

_Instead of just kicking me why don't they give me a lift?_

_Well, it must be a plot!_

_'Cause they're scared that I got..._

_Such a gift?_

_Well, I'm miffed _

With a quick glance around to make sure that no one was near by, I began to sing along to the familiar tune.

_Cause I'm _

_The Greatest Star_

_I am by far!_

_But no one knows it_

_Wait!_

_They're gonna hear a voice_

_A silver flute _

_(hoo ho hoo, hoo ho hoo)_

_They'll cheer each toot_

_(Hey, I heard it's terrific, hmm)_

_When I expose it_

_(Now can't ya see to look at me that)_

_I'm a natural Camille_

_As Camille I just feel_

_I've so much to offer_

_(Hey, listen kid I know I'd be divine because)_

_I'm a natural cougher _

_(ahoo, ahee, aheh) _

_Some ain't got it, not a lump_

_I'm a great big clump of talent_

_Laugh!_

_(Ha ha ha ha!)_

_They'll bend in half_

_(Did you ever hear the story about the traveling salesman?)_

_A thousand jokes_

_(Stick around for the jokes!)_

_A thousand faces_

_I reiterate _

_When you're gifted, then you're gifted_

_These are facts_

_I've got no axe to grind_

I was so lost in my singing and dancing around the room, enjoying the moment, when suddenly I backed into something hard.

"_Hey, whaddaya blind?!_" a voice suddenly demanded from behind me, mixing with the vocals on my iPod. I spun around to find Chris standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, an angry look plastered across his face. I hurriedly pulled my earbuds out of my ears, an apology ready to fall from my lips when he suddenly spoke again... No, not spoke. Sang.

"_In all of the world so far, I'm the Greatest Star!_" he sang in his musical voice. I laughed as I realized that he wasn't actually mad, he had just been singing along to the song.

"Yes, you are," I laughed, a smile spreading across my lips.

"Dang, Kaley," he exclaimed suddenly. "I didn't know that you could sing! And not only do you have an amazing voice, you're _the_ voice!"

"I'm sorry?" I furrowed my eyebrows at him, totally clueless as to what he was talking about. "The voice?"

"Yes, we-" he was cut off suddenly as Darren burst in through the door, gasping for breath.

"Where. Did she. Go?" he panted, leaning against the door frame as he tried to catch his breath.

"Who?" I asked.

"The girl. Where did. She go?" he repeated, still out of breath. "I must. Find her. I have to. I need to."

"Easy, Darren!" Chris quickly went to him, trying to settle him down. He was clearly very excited about finding this girl of his, and I suddenly felt a very sharp, painful feeling in my chest as I continued to listen to Darren ramble on about finding this girl of his.

"I have to tell her how amazing she is!" he told Chris, almost forgetting that I was even there. The pain in my chest suddenly grew even more painful.

_I was right,_ I realized sadly, trying to not break down crying right there and then. _He's not into me. He likes someone else. Why do I even bother getting my hopes up? _

I could feel the tears starting to prick my eyes, so I hurriedly pushed past the two guys still standing in the doorway, mumbling a quick "excuse me" and "sorry" as I passed by them. I hurried down the hallway, the tears starting to blur my vision as I half ran down the hall. I didn't know where I was going and honestly? I didn't even care at that moment. I just wanted to get as far away as I could from the them.

I wasn't watching where I was going and ended up running right smack into someone, sending us both crashing to the ground.

"I'm so sorry," I managed to sputter, not looking at them as I started to pick myself up.

"Kaley?" Leah's voice filled my ears. I looked up and there on the floor across from me was none other than Leah. "Kaley, what's wrong?" She had noticed my tears by now and was instantly by my side.

"You were wrong!" I sobbed, burying my face in her shoulder.

"I was wrong?" there was confusion in her voice. "How was I wrong?"

"Darren doesn't like me," I sputtered. "He likes someone else. See? This is why I don't like getting my hopes up! I always end up getting hurt in the end!" And with that, I let all of the pain and hurt loose, soaking Leah's shirt with my tears, though she didn't seem to mind too much. In that moment, she only had one thought on her mind: to comfort her broken-hearted best friend.

And that's exactly what she did.


	24. Chapter 24: Night Fever

_Shout out to the amazing **iluvklainebows** for commenting! :) It's okay, breathe. There is a new chapter now. Don't die. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and then read to your heart's content... And please don't kill me later ;-p_

_Please enjoy this next chapter. It was a fun one to write ;-p_

* * *

Chapter 24 - Night Fever

**Kaley's POV**

I ended up going home early. Leah told everyone that I was sick from eating too much cake. Truthfully, I really was sick, but it was not because of too much cake. I think I had made myself sick from crying too much.

I cuddled up with the pillows on my couch, wincing slightly because of the headache that I had gotten from crying. In front of me on the coffee table sat a large mug of green tea, heavily sweetened with honey, and a bowl of chicken noodle soup. The TV was on, but I wasn't really paying attention to it, my focus more on the notebook in my lap.

I had started to scribble out a couple of lines, not of a story as I would have liked, but rather of just how I was feeling.

_If you only knew how I felt about you, how crazy you drove me. If you only knew that I even existed..._

These were thoughts that had been running through my mind for days, months even. I had had feelings for Darren long before I had actually met him, long before he had known that I even existed. And even now that he did know me, it still seemed like sometimes he didn't even know I existed.

I sighed as I tossed the notebook to the other end of the couch. I needed to stop thinking about him. I finally turned my attention towards the TV as I grabbed the bowl of soup from the coffee table. An irritatingly perky Hannah Montana was dancing around on the screen, belting out the show's theme song, _Best of Both Worlds_. I hadn't realized that it was on the Family channel and I found myself grumbling as I reached for the remote to change the channel. I usually loved this channel, but I wasn't in the mood for its perky shows right now.

I slowly flipped through the channels until I saw Matthew Gray Gubler's face flash across the screen. I smiled as I settled down to watch the episode of_ Criminal Minds_. Spencer Reid was my favourite character on this show, apart from Garcia... and JJ... and Morgan... ok, so I basically loved them all. But Reid was definitely my most favourite.

The show was about halfway done by the time that my phone started buzzing. I looked at my watch and saw that it was 4:00. The guys would have finished their first show and realized that I was gone by now.

Sure enough, when I flipped open my phone, I had two texts: one from Chris and one from Darren. I opened Chris' first.

Chris: _Hey Kaley! I can't believe you're sick on your birthday! That's no fun! I had so many plans of things that we were going to do today :( Hope you feel better soon! 3_

I smiled as I read his text. He was such a sweetheart.

Taking a deep breath, I opened Darren's text.

Darren: _Hey Birthday Girl! Pretty crappy way to spend your birthday, being sick and all. I was so looking forward to hanging out with you between shows today! Hopefully we can hang tomorrow if you're better? Feel better soon :)_

Despite how upset I had been over Darren earlier, his text actually did make me feel better. Maybe he never would have feelings for me like I did for him, but he was still my friend and that was pretty incredible. Like come on! I was friends with _Darren freaking Criss_! The thought made me smile.

_Maybe I should go back for the second show..._ I thought as I looked over at the clothes that I had ditched on the floor. As soon as I had gotten home, I had immediately changed into a comfy pair of PJs, leaving my previous clothing scattered across the apartment. I was such a wreck when I had gotten home that I didn't really care about leaving my jeans lying in the middle of the hallway.

_If not, I should at least pick those up before Leah gets home..._ I noted to myself. I felt my eyelids slowly start to droop. I guess all of that crying had really worn me out.

_I'll do that in a minute... _was the last thought that I had before I slipped into an exhausted slumber.

* * *

"Kaley. Kaley," his sweet voice whispered in my ear. I slowly opened my eyes and found myself staring into a pair of beautiful hazel eyes.

"Good morning, _Sleeping Beauty_," he smiled.

"Darren?" I blinked repeatedly, not sure if I was really awake. I slowly sat up, realizing that I was still on the couch in the living room.

"I must have dozed off," I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. "How did you get in here?" Darren just smiled as he held up a set of keys.

"Leah gave them to me," he explained. "Her and Chris had to finish the costumes, so she let me have them to come check on you. How are you feeling?"

"Better now," I told him, a small smile slipping onto my face.

_Now that your here,_ I finished in my head.

"Good," his smile grew even bigger. "I hope that you're not too sick for a special birthday surprise?"

"I think I could manage," I smiled playfully. "Only because it's from you."

"Well," he said, sitting down on the couch beside me. "There's been something that I've been wanting to give you for a while now..."

"Ok..." I was extremely curious now. "What is it?"

"This." He slowly leaned towards me, his hand sliding up and cupping my face towards his. His face slowly drew closer to mine and his eyes slowly started to close, mine instinctively following his lead. His lips softly pressed against mine and I felt my breath catch in my throat.

He was gentle at first, but soon deepened the kiss and I found myself struggling to breathe. I slowly laid back down, pulling him down with me, never losing contact with him. My fingers ran through his curly hair, which was surprisingly void of hair gel, and pulled him even closer to me, causing him to kiss me even more fiercely.

He broke away from me suddenly and tore off his shirt, exposing his bare chest. I slowly ran my hand along his abs, shivering with excitement. I had never felt this way before and it actually did scare me.

"Where were we?" he smiled down at me playfully.

"We were right here," I said, reaching up and pulling him back down to me. His lips crashed against mine again and I could feel myself melting into him as his fingers weaved through my hair.

This moment was _perfect_.

"_Kaley!_"

My eyes shot open. Darren was gone.

I slowly turned my head to the side to find a snickering Leah staring at me.

"What?" I snapped at her.

"You were kissing your pillow and mumbling Darren's name," she giggled. "It's a good thing that I didn't invite them over to see you! _That_ would have been awkward!" I felt my cheeks flare with heat. It had all been just a dream. My heart grew a little heavier at the discovery of this.

"So is _pillow Darren _a good kisser?" Leah smirked.

"Oh, shut up!" I exclaimed, chucking the pillow at her.

"Ewww!" she squealed, holding the pillow away from herself. "It's all wet! You were drooling!"

"I was not!" I argued, sitting up.

"It's wet!" she replied, throwing the pillow back at me. I caught it before it hit me in the face and proceeded to stick my tongue out at her triumphantly.

"Or maybe it's just all of the slobber from kissing Darren!" she teased as she crinkled her nose at me. "I didn't think that you would be such a _sloppy kisser_!"

"Oh, you're dead!" I nearly shouted as I got up from the couch and proceeded to chase her around the apartment. I'm pretty sure that our neighbours wanted to kill us by then because of all of the squealing and shrieking sounds we were making.

I finally cornered her in her bedroom, slowly backing her up against her bed that sat against the far wall.

"There's _no where _left to run," I said very evilly, slowly advancing on her. Her eyes were wild, darting frantically around the room, looking for some sort of escape. I did not give her the chance to find one. I quickly tackled her, sending us both crashing down onto her bed. She squealed as I shoved the drool-soaked pillow in her face.

"Kaley! Kaley, stop!" she squealed, trying to push me and the pillow away.

"Never!" I laughed evilly.

Suddenly a loud knock sounded through the apartment and I felt my heart stop. I quickly looked at my watch. It was after midnight.

"Oh crap!" I silently cursed as I rolled off the bed and hurried down the hallway to the front door. I quickly peeked through the peep hole, half relieved, but also half scared as I saw who it was.

"Hi, Mrs. Porter," I greeted sheepishly as I opened the door. Standing in the hallway in her bright pink bathrobe, she actually looked like the typical, grumpy Superintendent that you would see in a movie.

Her aging white hair was held up in multiple pink rollers and her scowling face was covered with wrinkles (probably from scowling so much). Her pale grey eyes were glaring at me, her lips pursed as if she had just sucked on a lemon. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she unhappily stood there, tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for me to apologize, which I immediately began to do.

"I am so sorry, Mrs. Porter," I hung my head, trying to avoid her penetrating glare. "It won't happen again."

"It'd better not," she scowled at me. "Unless you and your friend want to start looking for a new place to live!" And with that, she turned on her heel and stormed away, as fast as an elderly woman could storm away that is. She stopped halfway down the hallway and turned back for a second.

"Oh and _Happy Birthday_, Miss Grant," she spat before turning again and continuing her trek down the hallway.

"Thanks," I mumbled sarcastically as I closed the door, slowly slumping back against it and letting out a deep breath. It was actually a miracle that we hadn't been kicked out yet with all of the noise that we tended to make.

It was a couple of seconds before Leah's head finally poked out from her bedroom.

"Well, she didn't kill you, that's a good sign," she attempted to joke. I just rolled my eyes at her.

"Next time, you're answering the door!" I told her as I pushed away from the door. "If I get her death glare one more time, I might actually die!"

Before she could reply, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I quickly pulled it out and smiled. It was from Darren.

Leah saw my smile and just rolled her eyes as she slipped back into her room.

"Tell real Darren that I said hi," she called out as she shut her door. It was my turn to roll my eyes at her, but I followed her actions by returning to my own room, softly closing the door behind me. I quickly slipped under my bed covers, making myself comfortable, before actually opening his text.

Darren: _Hey Kaley. Just wanted to see how you're feeling. We missed you today. Hope you still had a great birthday, despite you getting sick and all. _

Me: _Hey Darren. I'm doing a lot better now, thanks. I think I just needed to get some proper sleep for once. And yes, I did have a great birthday, despite getting sick and all. _

Darren: _Good :) will you be back tomorrow? _

Me: _Yep, I should be :) Why? Miss me?_

Darren: _Of course I did ;)_

My stomach did that weird butterflies thing. He had missed me!

_Stop it, Kaley,_ I scolded myself. _That doesn't mean anything! _

_Or does it?_ my mind argued with itself. I groaned, knocking my fist against my head as if that would knock the crazy thoughts out.

My phone buzzed again, and this time, it wasn't from Darren.

Leah: _Kaley, go to bed! I can hear you typing from over here! Tell Lover Boy goodnight and shut off your phone!_

I found myself rolling my eyes at her again, even though she couldn't see me.

_I need to get her back for today,_ I realized. _I need to find some way to make her birthday even better! But how?_

My eyes fell back down to the phone in my lap. I slowly picked it up and scrolled through my recent texts. I paused on one and smiled evilly, ideas already starting to form in my head.

Me: _Hey Chris. I've a favour to ask of you._

* * *

**Darren's POV **

Chris' snickering caused me to tear my attention away from my phone and look over to where he was comfortably stretched out on his bed.

"What's so funny?" I asked him.

"Oh, just plotting," he smiled.

"...plotting what?" I persisted.

"Things," he refused to give in to my curiosity.

"_Chris_..." I whined.

"It doesn't involve you, don't worry," Chris sighed and I caught him rolling his eyes at me.

"Come on!" I huffed.

"Fine!" he huffed back. "Kaley wants my help planning Leah's birthday surprise, okay?"

"Leah's birthday?" I echoed inquiringly.

"Yeah, apparently their birthdays are only two days apart," he shrugged. "It's one of the things that makes them 'such close friends'."

"That's kind of cute actually," I smiled, turning my attention back to the phone in my hands. I had the sudden urge to text Kaley and tell her that she was cute, and I was just barely able to keep myself from doing so.

_What is going on with me?_ I wondered, rubbing my temple as if that would suddenly clear things up for me. Kaley was a great girl and I really did like her... but then there was this other girl that I could not stop thinking about. Her voice played through my head all day and haunted my dreams at night, dreams where I tried to find her, but I was always one step behind, one moment too late.

_Just like in real life,_ I sighed inwardly._ Am I ever going to find out who you are? _

The screen of my phone suddenly lit up, alerting me that I had a new text. I sighed as I saw her name flash across the screen. It was from Kaley.

_And am I ever going to figure out my feelings for you? _


	25. Chapter 25: Raise Your Glass

_Sorry it's taken me so long to update! I was out of town last week and wasn't able to update at all. I did, however, write not one, but TWO new chapters! The first you are about to read, and the second will be up within the next day or two. I just have to do a bit more editing and such on it before I can post it. That, and I like seeing your responses to each chapter individually. _

_Shout outs to **iluvklainebows**, **kawaii01**, **Britgleek**, & **LiesMiranda** for all of your comments! 3 I love that you guys love this! _

_**LiesMiranda** as much as I tsk you for shunning your studying, I am thrilled that you like my story so much and that you've gotten so involved and into it :) And hey, though it does suck that you have to wait for new updates, if you came in when the story was already done, then you wouldn't get a shout out for being so awesome and for putting a smile on my face :)  
_

_**iluvklainebows** I'm happy to hear that you are still breathing :) And no, I'm not a mind reader :-p I think our minds are on similar wave lengths cause that dream would be a dream come true 3  
_

_**kawaii01** All will be revealed in time :) Actually, it will start to be revealed in Chapter 27 to be exact, which I have already started writing. The upcoming chapters are going to be insane. You are all going to flip! :-p _

_**Britgleek** Thank you! I'm glad that you like it so much! :) More uploads coming soon, I promise! :)  
_

_Taking one more moment to thank and welcome new followers **L. Darling**, **Britg****leek**, **LiesMiranda**, & **My Silver Angel Wings**. Thank you so much for your support!  
_

_And thank you to **Britgleek**, **LiesMiranda**, **Cincis**, & **My Silver Angel Wings** for favouriting this story. I'm thrilled that you like this story enough to add it to your favourites collection 3  
_

_Alright, I am done talking now, and will let you all get to the story. Hope you enjoy it! Don't forget to leave me a comment letting me know what you thought of it, what your favourite part/s were, etc. I love hearing from you! New chapter up soon! :-p_

* * *

Chapter 25 - Raise Your Glass

**Kaley's POV**

I awoke to the mouth-watering smell of bacon, my stomach growling loudly to inform me that it wanted that bacon and it wanted it _now_. Rubbing my eyes, I rolled out of bed and threw on my housecoat and slippers, and quickly made my way down the hall to the kitchen.

"Good morning!" Leah smiled when I walked into the kitchen. She was standing by our small stove, overseeing the pan of sizzling bacon.

"I thought that we agreed that I was going to do the bacon this year," I said with a yawn as I plopped down onto one of the stools sitting around our bar-like counter.

"Yeah, well, I was hungry and you were still sleeping, so I thought that I'd get a jump start on making breakfast.

"So, what can I do to help then?" I asked, rolling my eyes at her previous comment.

"I've actually almost got everything done..." Leah replied sheepishly.

"Leah!" I exclaimed, a frown forming on my face. "We were supposed to make this together!"

It had become a tradition of ours to make breakfast together on the 25th, the day between our two birthdays. The 25th had become our special Birthday Day, the day when we would exchange birthday presents and essentially celebrate both of our birthdays at the same time. That was one of the reasons why yesterday's party had surprised me so much, because I was not expecting to celebrate my birthday in such a way until the next day. That, and I hadn't told anyone when my birthday was... well, besides Leah, obviously.

"You could do the toast," Leah suggested. I shot her a quick glare to inform her that I was not happy with her as I stood up to get the bread. I pulled out two slices and slid them into the toaster. Because I had nothing better to do, I just stood there and watched the lights in the toaster turn red as it started to cook the bread.

"I'm bread, I'm bread, I'm bread, I'm bread," I started to mumble under my breath as I watched it. I kept mumbling that until the toaster popped, and I suddenly yelled, "I'm toast!"

Leah burst out laughing behind me. I felt my cheeks slightly flush with heat as I looked over my shoulder at her.

"That was_ adorkable_!" she laughed, wiping tears from her eyes. "Seriously, Kaley, you say some of the randomest things sometimes!"

"I know," I shrugged, smiling as I turned back to the toaster and proceeded to take the toast out, quickly dropping it onto a small plate that Leah had left on the counter for me. It was still pretty hot and hurt to hold for too long.

I grabbed the plate and took it over to our very small, wooden table where Leah had already set everything else. I set it down as I slid into the chair across from Leah's.

"I propose a toast," Leah said, holding up her glass of grape juice. I mimicked her actions, holding up my own cup. "To us. To twenty-one years of life and to many years of friendship!"

"And to many more to come!" I smiled, clinking my glass against hers. "Happy Birthday, Leah!"

"Happy Birthday, Kaley!" she smiled back, taking a sip of her juice. And with the toasts out of the way, we hungrily dug into the food laid out before us.

Half a hour later, Leah and I, with full bellies, made our way over to our small living room. I flopped down onto the couch and let out a big, relaxed sigh.

"That was good," I said, closing my eyes as I leaned my head back.

"Yes, and the toast was exceptionally good," Leah replied with a slight laugh. I opened my eyes just so that I could roll them at her.

"Now I'm having second thoughts about giving you your birthday present," I teased her as I slipped my hand into my housecoat pocket. My fingers closed around a long, thin box and I slowly drew it out of my pocket, making sure to keep it concealed from Leah's sight.

"No!" Leah pouted. "If I can't have mine, then you can't have yours either!"

"I'm just teasing," I laughed as I held out the box to her. "Happy Birthday, Leah!" A small, excited squeal escaped her throat as she took it from me.

"What is it?" she asked, holding it up to her ear and lightly shaking it.

"Oh, just open it!" I laughed, earning a smile from her. She quickly tore off the gold wrapping paper, revealing a thin, white box. I watched her face intently as she gently took the lid off of it. Her eyes lit up with surprise and a small gasp slipped from her lips.

"Oh, Kaley," she whispered. "It's beautiful!" She carefully pulled the necklace out of the box. It had a small treble clef hanging off of it and was made entirely of white gold.

Leah had mentioned to me a few months ago how she had always wanted a treble clef necklace but had never been able to find one. So from that moment on, I had made it my mission to find her one, and not just some cheap, dollar store one, but rather one that was of good quality and would last for a long time. It took me a while, but I had finally found a place that sold them. I ended up paying more than I would have wanted to, but the look on her face at that moment made it worth every penny that I spent.

"Thank you so much!" she almost cried, hugging me tightly.

"You're welcome, Leah," I smiled, hugging her back. "I'm glad you like it."

"Like it!?" she exclaimed, breaking from the hug to look at the necklace again. "I love it! Help me put it on?"

"Of course," I laughed, carefully taking it from her and clasping it around her neck.

"I can't believe that you got this for me," she said softly, gently touching the treble clef.

"Leah, you're my best friend," I smiled, gently taking her free hand in mine and giving it a light squeeze. "I couldn't settle for getting you anything less than the best."

"Thank you," she said again, squeezing my hand back. "I know that this doesn't compare to what you got me... but I hope that you'll still like it." She slowly pulled a rectangular package out from behind the pillow behind her and held it out to me. I gave her a quizzical look as I took it.

It wasn't heavy, but it also wasn't light. I quickly tore off the blue, striped wrapping paper and a black, leather book fell into my lap. I tossed the empty paper to the side and slowly picked up the book. I flipped it over and on the front it read: _Memories_.

I slowly opened the book and smiled as my eyes fell on the first picture. It was a picture of me and Leah. Our first real picture together. I continued to flip through the book, slowly looking over all of the pictures on each page. There were pictures of us from each of the shows that we had done together, pictures of us from each of the trips that we had gone on, and pictures of us just in random places doing random things.

As I neared the end of the book, I found myself staring at pictures of us here in New York. There was a picture of us in the back of a taxi cab, in front of the Statue of Liberty, and one of us in Time Square. There was a picture of us on our first day in our new apartment, as well as a picture of us in front of the _Radio City Music Hall _building on the first day of our new job there. And at the very end, there was a picture of us from just the day before at my surprise birthday party.

I felt a tear roll down my cheek as I slowly closed the book.

"You don't like it," Leah's shoulders drooped as she noticed my tears.

"No, Leah," I replied, looking up at her through tear-filled eyes. "I love it. Honestly, this is the best present that you could have given me."

"But compared to what you got me it-" Leah started.

"Don't say that," I cut her off. "I got you something that means a lot to you and you got me something that means a lot to me. Don't ever think that this doesn't compare to what I got you, because it does. Honestly, just having you as a friend is a great enough present itself, and this will just remind me of that, remind me of how lucky I am to have such an amazing friend like you."

"Awww," Lea started tearing up as she pulled me into another hug. "Now look what you did! You're making me cry too!"

"But they're happy tears, so it's okay," I smiled, hugging her back. "Thank you, Leah. I seriously love it."

"You'd better!" she joked, breaking away from me. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to put that together?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "But it was worth it, wasn't it?"

"Of course it was," she smiled, her eyes lighting up as she watched me hug the book to my chest. Her hand slowly found its way back up to her necklace and her smile widened as it closed around the treble clef. "Totally worth it."

* * *

**Darren's POV**

I peeked in the laundry room as I passed by and was surprised to find it empty. Kaley and Leah were usually here by now.

"They're not here yet," Chris commented as he passed by me, his eyes glued to the phone in his hands.

"Texting Leah?" I smirked, trying to look over his shoulder at his phone as I followed him down the hall.

"Kaley, actually," Chris smiled, briefly glancing up at me. "I'm not talking to Leah today." I stopped walking.

"You're _not talking _to Leah?" I was shocked. "Did you guys have a fight or something?"

"You make it sound as if we were dating," he laughed, turning back to me as he stopped as well. "And no, we didn't. I'm just not talking to her today, so if she asks about me, just tell her that I'm busy and can't talk."

"Why?" I asked, a little curious now. "What are you up to?"

"Oh, you'll see," he just smiled, turning and continuing to walk down the hall. "There is a method to my madness."

"More like a madness to your method," I mumbled under my breath with a light chuckle.

"I heard that!" Chris called back over his shoulder. I just laughed and shook my head at him. It was pointless to try to understand what was going on inside that mind of his.

_More like impossible,_ I laughed to myself as I continued down the hallway. _Oh, Chris..._

My phone suddenly buzzed in my pocket and I smiled, thinking it must be Kaley. I quickly pulled it out of my pocket but frowned as I saw the name on the screen.

_Vanessa_. Even just seeing her name upset me. With a sigh, I opened her text.

Vanessa: _Hey Dare Bear! I miss you so much! I'm so sorry about what happened. It won't happen again, I promise! Can we work things out? I miss having you in my life 3_

I rolled my eyes at her text. She did the same thing every single time that we broke up. But this time, I wasn't going to take her back. I was going to hold my ground and tell her no.

Me: _No, Vanessa. You said that the last time and it still happened again. We are done. For good. _

Just to add a cherry on top, I sent her a link to Taylor Swift's new song, _We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together_. I smiled as I hit send, picturing her face as she listened to the song. And I seriously meant every word that Taylor sang. We were never ever ever getting back together.

I waited for a couple of minutes for a reply, but I didn't get one. With a satisfied smirk, I slid my phone back into my pocket and continued on my way, intent on finding Chris again to tell him about what I did, all the while silently singing Taylor's song in my head.

_We are never ever ever getting back together._

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

I looked up as Leah burst into the room. Her face was flustered and she clearly looked distressed. I quickly glanced down at my watch. It was 2:40. I was surprised that it took her this long to react.

"I think Chris hates me!" she burst out, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Why?" I asked tentatively, trying to keep my voice normal, but concerned.

"He won't reply to any of my texts and I swear that he's been avoiding me all day!" she looked so crestfallen that I almost wanted to tell her everything, but I held my ground. She was going to kill me when she found out that I was behind all of this, but I knew that it would be worth it.

"Maybe he's just busy," I suggested, going to her and giving her a light hug. "I'm sure it's nothing to be worried about. You know how stressful it can get during show week."

"Yeah, I guess," she sniffed, wiping the tears from her eyes. "It's just weird going from texting all the time to not hearing from him all day. It makes me worry that maybe I annoy him..."

"Oh, Leah," I sighed, hugging her again. "Don't even think that! You could never annoy him! I think that you're just overreacting. I'm sure that everything is fine. Don't worry."

"Ok..." she didn't sound sure, but knowing her, I knew that she wouldn't be satisfied until Chris texted her... which wasn't going to happen. I inwardly smirked evilly as I saw my plan slowly falling into place.

_She's going to hate me_, I chuckled to myself. _But she's going to love it! _


	26. Chapter 26: What A Girl Wants

_To say that I love you guys is an understatement. You guys are seriously amazing. I love getting feedback from all of you and seeing how enthralled you get in the story! Seriously, just amazing!  
_

_Ok, shout out time! A huge welcome to **Icandy516**! A huge shout outs to my AMAZINGLY INCREDIBLE commenters, **iluvklainebows**,_ **_kawaii01_**_, **Ilikemutemath**, & **GleekStarKid**. You guys seriously flatter me with your comments :)__  
_

_**iluvklainebows**: You never cease to make me smile when I read your comments :) I am just so flattered and thrilled that you screamed when you got the alert email. I'm not gonna lie, I've done that too, just with different things. I had a mini freak out once while watching the TCAs and saw Darren flash across the screen haha :-p So it's not just you :-p We all have our little crazy freak out moments :-p  
_

_**kawaii01**: That, my friend, are about to find out! :-p  
_

_**Ilikemutemath**: No worries :) I know what it's like to get busy and fall behind on stories. Trust me, I've done it plenty of times. I'm just happy that you are still reading and enjoying it :) I am very flattered that you think of me as such a talented writer. Writing is my passion. I hope that someday that I can do it for a living :) I did not know that my hearts were only showing up as 3s and that is slightly saddening :( Maybe I should just start writing that I **less than 3** all of you? Haha :-p Thank you so much for continuing to read and love! ~less than 3~  
_

_**GleekStarKid**: Thrilled you do, and I definitely will! I am FAR from done with this story :) Have a lot planned for them :)_

* * *

Chapter 26 - What A Girl Wants**  
**

**Kaley's POV**

"Wakey, wakey, Leah!" I called out as I pushed open her door. In my hands, I carried a tray with bacon, eggs, and hash browns on it.

"Mmmm," Leah smiled, inhaling deeply as she rolled over and sat up. She rubbed her sleep-filled eyes as I sat the tray down on her lap.

"Happy Birthday, Leah!" I said as I sat down beside her.

"Breakfast?" she asked, her voice still heavy with sleep.

"Well, since you didn't really let me do anything yesterday... no, toast doesn't count," I cut her off before she could say anything. "Well, I thought I'd make you breakfast in bed, since it is your birthday and all."

"Aww, well that was nice of you," she smiled, picking up a piece of bacon and biting into it. As if on cue, my stomach growled to remind me that there was still another plate sitting in the kitchen for me.

"I'll be right back," I said, getting up and heading back to the kitchen.

When I entered the kitchen, the first thing that I noticed was my phone on the counter. The light signaling that I had a text was lit up. I smiled as I picked it up and flipped it open. It was from Chris.

Chris: _Everything is all set for operation payback :p _

Me: _Good :) Thank you so much for doing this. You're such a good sport. _

Chris: _I don't mind :) Leah is so much fun to be around. I don't mind in the slightest doing this ;p _

Me: _Haha she's going to freak! I gotta get back to her before she starts to suspect something. See you in a little! :-p _

Chris: _Haha alright sounds good :)_

I closed my phone and slid it into my pocket and, picking up my plate of food, I returned to Leah's room.

"Took you long enough!" she teased as she scooped a spoonful of eggs into her mouth.

"Sorry, _Princess_," I rolled my eyes at her. "I didn't realize that I was on such a strict schedule. I happen to like taking my time."

"Yeah, I know," she rolled her eyes at me this time.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Well, you sure are taking your sweet time with Darren..." she replied teasingly.

"I'm going to spit in your food next time," I threatened as I stuffed a piece of bacon into my mouth. "Nothing is happening between me and Darren!"

"Sure it isn't," she just laughed.

"It isn't!" I grumbled, ditching my plate on her vanity as I stormed out of her room and headed back to my own room. With a heavy sigh, I flopped face down onto my bed. As much as Leah insisted and I wished that it was true, I couldn't help but deny that there was anything going on between us except friendship.

I felt like I was on a constant emotional roller coaster with my feelings. One moment, it felt like maybe I could have a chance with Darren, and the next, I'd be in denial of anything being able to happen between us.

_Sometimes it just hurts too much to hope,_ I sighed, burying my face in my pillow.

My phone suddenly vibrated beneath me and my heart skipped a beat at the thought that it might be Darren. I quickly pulled out my phone, but found that it was not from him.

Leah: _I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I was just teasing. Forgive me? :/_

Me: _*sigh* Yes, I forgive you. I love you too much to stay mad at you 3_

Leah: _That's my girl :) We'd better getting moving. It's heading to 11 and Chris wants me to meet him at 11. _

Me: _Chris finally texted you? And see? I told you he wasn't mad! You worried for nothing. (ps last minute much?)_

Leah: _I don't know :s He said we need to talk. He sounded... Serious :s (and hey I just woke up and got his text now!)_

Me: _I'm sure it's nothing serious :) It's Chris. He can't be mad at you (and alright, get moving then! I'm already showered)_

Leah: _I hope so... (and ok, give me five and I'll be ready)_

Me: _Ok. Oh and Leah?_

Leah: _Ya?_

Me: _Stop texting back and get moving! :-p_

Leah:_ XP_

Me: _You know you love me. _

I waited a minute and after receiving no reply, I knew that she was off getting ready. With a smile I sent one more text.

Me:_ Get ready, Chris. We're leaving in 5 :-p_

* * *

**Darren's POV**

"Please, Darren, let's work this out," her voice was quivering, which was something that used to make me give in and do what ever she wanted. But not anymore.

"No, Vanessa," I huffed into my phone. "I told you, we're done. That's it. No more getting back together just so that I can turn around and have you cheat on me behind my back again!"

"But it was a mistake, Dare Bear," she whined. The sound irritated my ears.

"Don't call me that!" I snapped. Now that we were through, I was not afraid to speak my mind to her.

"Don't ever call me that ever again!" I continued, my anger building. "I'm not a freaking _Care Bear_! You want to know what? I always _hated_ when you called me that. It always made me feel like you were belittling me, which I guess you kind of were. You made me feel like crap just so that you could feel better about yourself. Well, not anymore. When I said that we were through, I meant it. And unlike you, I actually keep my word. Goodbye, Vanessa."

I didn't wait for her to respond. I just hung up on her. I knew that she must be boiling mad by now, but I honestly didn't even care anymore. We weren't together anymore, so her happiness was no longer of my concern.

"You okay?" her voice asked softly from behind me. I smiled as I turned towards her.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Kaley," I smiled. "What's up?"

"Wanna watch something fun?" she asked, smiling mischieviously.

"Ok..." I cocked my head to the side, slightly suspicious.

"Come with me," her smile grew wider as she grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hallway. She stopped outside of the black box and put a finger to her lips, signaling that I should be quiet. I nodded, extremely curious now.

She stepped inside the door slightly, pointing at something. Her eyes lit up as she stared into the room. I quickly stepped up beside her and looked into the room, eager to see what had excited Kaley so much. What I saw made my jaw drop to the floor.

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

It could not have gone more perfectly. After parting from Leah once we had entered the theatre, I had quickly run to grab Darren to join him in on the fun. We reached the black box just in time to see Chris jump out of a giant cardboard cake in front of Leah. She squealed, half from surprise and half from excitement.

"Happy Birthday, Leah!" Chris nearly yelled as he tackled her into a hug.

"Oh my gosh, you are such a jerk!" she laughed. "I thought that you hated me!"

"Never!" he laughed, a smile spreading across his face. Leah suddenly caught sight of me and turned towards me, pointing at me accusingly.

"You were behind all of this, weren't you!" She was stating the question rather than asking it, since she already knew what the answer was.

"Behind all of what?" I asked innocently. She just glared at me before Chris turned her attention back on him.

"So when I asked what you would want for your birthday, I was told that there was only one thing that I could possibly give you to make this the greatest birthday that you've ever had," Chris told her.

"Oh?" Leah replied, glancing back at me to give me a questioning look. I just shrugged at her, though I already knew what it was. "And what would that be?"

"This," he smiled, suddenly placing his hands on either side of her face and planting a kiss right on her lips. When he pulled away from her, I nearly burst out laughing at her expression.

Her eyes were anime huge, wide with shock and disbelief, and her mouth dropped open as soon as Chris pulled away. Her lips suddenly started to move, as if she was trying to say something, but nothing came out.

"Happy Birthday, Leah!" Chris just smiled. Leah's cheeks suddenly started to turn red and she quickly ducked her head to hide her face, a reaction that I would normally have.

"What'd I do?" Chris asked, looking at me, puzzled, as we stepped farther into the room. "That's what you said she wanted, right?"

"Wait, you told Chris that Leah wanted him to kiss her?" Darren spoke up suddenly from beside me. I turned to look at him and found that he had had a very similar reaction to Leah's. His mouth was still hanging open slightly, his eyes still wide.

"Yeah... Chris, I, uh, kinda forgot to mention that she's never been kissed before," I said sheepishly, ducking my head slightly, waiting for his reaction.

"She_ hasn't_?!" both boys gasped. I quickly glanced over at Leah and it looked like she just wanted to disappear.

_Good job, Kaley,_ I inwardly scolded myself. _Way to embarrass her on her birthday. _

"Yeah, well, I thought that her first kiss should be special," I tried to cover my tracks, partly ignoring the guys' comment. "And who better to be kissed by than the man that we have both idolized for years."

"Me?" Chris asked, pointing to himself.

"Of course," I smiled. "Who else? Chris, I don't think that you've realized just how much of an impact you've had on so many people's lives, ours included. You're kind of our hero."

"Aww, that's sweet," he smiled, walking over and hugging me. "You guys are too sweet."

"You are too sweet for doing that for me," I smiled back. "For her." I looked back over at Leah who was still hiding her face behind her hands.

_Great,_ I thought. _I've mortified her! _

"Leah?" Chris tentatively walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that without asking."

"Are you kidding?" her muffled voice came from inside Chris' embrace. He pulled away and we could all see a now beaming Leah. "I think that was the best first kiss that I could possibly ever have!" She turned towards me suddenly. "Though I'm still going to kill you for this."

I quickly ducked behind Darren and whispered, "Save me!" in his ear.

He just laughed and said, "Of course", putting his arm back around me protectively, slightly pressing me closer to him. I felt my heart skip a beat as my body gently pressed against his back.

"_What's going on in here_?" a familiar voice asked sharply from behind me. We all turned around to face a very suspicious Ryan.

"It's Leah's birthday," Chris found his voice first, being the most comfortable around Ryan.

"Another birthday?" he said inquiringly, glancing back and forth between Leah and me.

"Born two days apart," I managed to sputter, not fully sure if it even made sense. After a minute, Ryan slowly nodded.

"Alright, but you should all get back to work now," he said, turning away.

"Yes, Sir," Leah and I unintentionally spoke in unison, trying hard not to break out laughing afterwards as we realized what we had done.

"Well, I guess that we should go get ready," Chris sighed, turning and heading for the door. "We'll see you guys later!"

"See you later, Kales!" Darren smiled at me. "And Happy Birthday, Leah!" And with that, he turned and followed Chris out the door.

My stomach was doing crazy flip flops.

"Kaley?" Leah called my attention back to her. I slowly turned back towards her.

"He called me Kales," I said softly.

"What?" she asked, not quite catching what I said.

"He called me Kales," I repeated. "You're the only one who ever calls me that."

And my heart suddenly did that annoyingly painful thing where it got hopeful again.

_Dang it. _


	27. Chapter 27: Friday

_Shout outs to my amazing commenters, **iluvklainebows**, **gleekstarkid**, **kawaii01**, & **Ilikemutemath**. I seriously love reading all of your comments :) They make me smile and giggle!  
_

_I just wanted to let you guys know that I am on Twitter ( 11Cassaroo11) and if you guys want to follow me, I will be starting to post little sneak peeks of new chapters and little fun facts about some of the chapters. It's also a great way for you guys to be able to ask me any and all of your questions, which I will try my best to answer (without giving too much away haha). Plus, it would give you guys the chance to pester me about uploading new chapters because I'm on my Twitter more than once a day :-p I would love to be able to connect with you guys! :D  
_

_One last little note before I let you get on to reading the story. I already have ideas in my mind about doing a sequel to this story, though DON'T WORRY! I am FAR from done with this one! I have A LOT more in store for these guys! :-p But would you guys be interested if I made a sequel? It's going to take a different kind of turn in comparison to this one, but it's been an idea on my mind for a while now. Here's a little sneak hint. I'm thinking about calling it **Kidnap My Heart**. Intrigued? I know I am :-p  
_

_Alrighty, I'll let you get on to reading this new chapter now. The next chapter is probably going to be the longest chapter yet and you are going to FREAK OUT! And the chapter following that one, OMG! It's going to be amazing! I have been planning these chapters since the day I started writing this story! Cannot wait to write/share them with you!  
_

_As always, enjoy this new chapter, and I hope to hear from you guys on Twitter! But don't forget to leave comments here! I love reading the comments you guys leave! :)_

* * *

Chapter 27 - Friday**  
**

**Darren's POV **

"I still can't believe that you kissed Leah yesterday," I commented, leaning my head back against the headrest. Chris looked up at me from across the limo and smiled.

"Why not?" he asked. "It was her birthday and it was something that she really wanted, so why wouldn't I?"

"Do you like her?" I asked.

"Leah?" he sounded surprised by my question. "Of course I do!"

"No," I rolled my eyes. "I mean like in a _more than friends _kind of way." Chris suddenly burst out laughing.

"Oh Darren, you should know by now that Leah's not my _type_," he laughed. "I mean, I love her to death, but ya, no. Maybe in another life." He shrugged as he returned his attention back on his phone. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he stared at the screen.

"What are you-" I started to say.

"So you know how Ryan's giving us tomorrow off?" Chris cut in suddenly.

"Ummm, ya?" I replied, not sure where he was going with this.

"Well," he continued. "I've been thinking-"

"Don't strain yourself!" I piped in, earning myself a glare from Chris.

"Funny," he rolled his eyes at me. "As I was saying, I've been thinking and since the girls both just turned twenty-one, to celebrate, we should go out to a bar tonight!"

"Great idea, except for one problem," I sighed. "Kaley doesn't drink."

"That's why we go to a karaoke bar!" Chris' eyes twinkled almost mischievously. "That way non-drinkers, like Kaley, can still have fun."

"Kaley doesn't sing though," I argued. "She said that the only way that she would ever sing in front of people would be if she was drunk, and she doesn't drink."

"Well, maybe we'll get her to do both tonight," Chris laughed, winking at me.

"Yeah, right," I mumbled under my breath as the limo came to a stop.

"I think that she would still have fun, regardless," Chris commented, getting out of the vehicle. "Like come on, she gets to hang out with us all night! Plus, the bar is just a couple of blocks away from here, so we don't even have to go that far!" He held up his phone for me to see the _Google_-mapped directions to the bar.

"Fine," I sighed, heading towards the theatre door.

"Is that a yes then?" Chris asked, hopeful. "You're in?"

"Ya," I laughed, amused by his excitement. "I'm in."

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

"Hey, look! I'm Artie!" I joked, popping a wheelie in Kevin's wheelchair.

"No, wait!" Lea squealed. "You need his glasses!" She snatched them off of his face and put them on me.

"Hey!" Kevin exclaimed unhappily. "I need those!"

"Oh, hush!" Lea shushed him before turning back to me. "Ok, we just need to put your hair back like this, push your bangs to the side like that and... perfect!" She clapped as she took a step back so that everyone else could see me.

She had pulled my hair back into a small bun to make my hair look shorter, more boyish, and she had moved all of my bangs to one side so that I would look more like Artie. The black glasses on my nose gave me a slight headache, so I tilted them down slightly so that I was looking out over top of the rims rather than through the glass.

I looked around at everyone sitting in the circle around me watching me do wheelies in the chair. Kevin McHale, whose chair I couldn't believe that I was actually sitting in at the moment, was trying hard to keep his face serious and mad, but ended up breaking and laughing at my silly impressions of his _Glee_ character. Mark Salling sat beside him, giving me flirty little winks, a huge grin plastered across his face. Lea stood beside him, still admiring her handiwork with a huge smile, and last, but not least, Leah was sitting on top of a table, laughing her head off at me.

"_What the devil is going on in here_?" a familiar voice called out from the doorway. We all turned and smiled as Darren and Chris walked into the room. I inwardly giggled at Darren's reference to _AVPM_, and when I looked up at him, our eyes met and he smiled, somehow knowing that I had caught his joke.

"Party going on in here," Chris commented with a slight grin, which suddenly turned into a frown as he glared at us. "And how come we were weren't invited?"

"Because you can't get your _lazy butts _out of bed in the morning!" Leah exclaimed, hopping down off the table.

"That's not true!" Chris huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting. "Darren's the one who won't get up, not me!"

"Hey!" Darren exclaimed. "That's not... yeah, it's true." He laughed, making all of us laugh too.

"Well, since they didn't invite us to their party, maybe we shouldn't invite them to ours," Chris told Darren nonchalantly, snubbing the rest of us.

"Party?" Lea exclaimed, excited. "What party?"

"A party?" Mark smiled. "I'm in!"

"Oh, it's not just any party," Chris smiled, enjoying the attention that was on him. "It's a party for our two wonderful new friends, Leah and Kaley!"

"Wooo!" Mark cheered. "We're going clubbing tonight!"

"What?" I asked, caught off guard by his statement as I removed myself from the wheelchair. "Clubbing?"

"You guys are twenty-one now," he smiled slyly at me. "So it's time that we show you_ exactly _how we like to party!"

"I found a bar just a few blocks from here," Chris started to tell everyone, but I wasn't listening. I had already started to freak out the moment he said bar.

"B-Bar?" I stuttered, looking to Leah for support, but she was lost in the excitement. She had never been as reserved as me when it came to bars and drinking.

"And that's not even the best part!" Chris went on. "It's a _karaoke_ bar!"

"Yes!" Lea squealed with excitement, jumping up and down. "This is going to be so much fun!"

I disagreed. Very much so. Not that I could say so out loud though. I was too stunned to talk.

"So, what do you say?" Chris asked. "Are you guys in?"

"Of course!"

"Heck, yes!"

"Oh yeah!"

Their responses all blurred around me.

"Kaley?" Darren's soft voice broke through to me. I slowly looked up at him and saw concern in his eyes.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"I-I can't," I whispered softly. "I just can't."

"You have to come!" Lea exclaimed loudly, catching my words. "It wouldn't be the same without you there! Come on, it'll be fun! You don't have to drink if you don't want to. You can be our designated driver."

"Except I don't have a car and you all get taxied around by limos, so..." I began.

"Oh, come on, Kaley!" Leah sighed, suddenly coming up beside me and throwing her arm across my shoulders. "It'll be fun!" She lowered her voice suddenly and whispered into my ear, "And just think, you'll get to spend the whole night with Darren!"

"Oh, shush, you!" I laughed, pushing her away.

"It would be really fun if you came," Darren's voice was lightly pleading in my ear. I turned towards him and saw that he was giving me hopeful, puppy dog eyes. How could I possibly say no to that?

"Oh, alright," I sighed, to which everyone else cheered successfully.

"Wooooo!" Mark yelled, pumping his fist in the air. "Party!"

Someone was suddenly tapping me on the shoulder and when I turned towards them, I unexpectedly found myself standing before Kevin.

"Umm, can I have my glasses back now?" he asked, shifting uncomfortably in front of me.

"Oh!" was all that came out of my mouth. I could instantly feel the heat rushing to my face and I quickly took his glasses off and handed them back to him, hanging my head slightly to hide my reddened cheeks.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"It's alright," he laughed as I slowly peeked up at him. There was a huge smile spreading across his lips. "I just thought that I might need these to _party hard _tonight!" I laughed and rolled my eyes at him as he turned away to talk to Mark.

"Oh my gosh, we have to sing that together!" Lea was saying to Chris as I turned my attention back on them.

"Oh, definitely!" Chris laughed. "And we should totally get Leah and Kaley to sing this with us too!"

"Sing?" I blurted. "With you?" As much as that would have idealistically been a dream come true, I couldn't help the terror that was coursing through my body.

"Yes, I know you know the words," Chris grinned. "I've seen you mouthing them backstage during the show."

"N-No," I stuttered, shaking my head. "I'm sorry, I just can't."

"Please, Kaley?" Lea begged, taking my hands in hers and squeezing them lightly. "It would be so much fun!"

"How about we go there and see how things are, and when we're there, if you're up for it, you could try doing a song or two," Darren suggested. "You won't have to sing alone though. We won't make you do a solo or anything."

"I guess..." I reluctantly agreed. I had never been to a bar before, much less a karaoke bar, so I was kind of scared because I didn't know what to expect. And unfortunately, that fear did not go away.

The panic that I felt about going to a bar tonight stayed with me all throughout the day. I couldn't really believe that I had somehow agreed to go, but yet suddenly here I was, walking down the street with the majority of the cast of_ Glee_.

Leah and I had gone home during the second show to change outfits so that we would, according to Leah, "have something cute to wear for the boys tonight." I looked over at Leah who was walking beside Chris. She looked beautiful in her sleek, black, leopard-print top with her black capri pants and her gold wedges that she had decided to wear tonight. I looked down at my own clothes, which consisted of a scarlet, one-shoulder top and black capri pants. I had opted out of wearing heels or wedges, choosing a more comfortable pair of black flats to wear. I was not a fan of wearing heels at all. I could barely even walk in them.

Even the guys were dressed up nicer tonight, having gone back to the hotel between shows to grab a change of clothes. I peeked up at Darren who was walking beside me. He had a nice white, button-up shirt on, but he had left the top few buttons undone, exposing some of the skin on his chest. I blushed as I quickly looked away, turning my attention instead on Chris, who wore a sleek, black shirt, much like the shirt that he wore in the number, _Not The Boy Next Door_.

_Awww, they match!_ I smiled to myself as I looked at Leah and Chris. _They are such a perfect match for each other!_

"Is this the place?" Darren asked, his question directed at Chris. Chris looked down at his phone, briefly checking the map for the fourth time that night, before looking up and nodding.

"Yep," he smiled. "This looks like the place."

I looked up at the sign hanging over the building that we had stopped in front of. It read:

_**PULSE **_

_KARAOKE LOUNGE _

_& SUITES _

"Have any of you ever been here before?" Leah asked tentatively.

"Nope!" Chris shrugged with a smile. "That's what makes it so much fun! Shall we?" He offered his arm to Leah, which she took with a slight blush.

"May I?" Darren asked. I looked back at him to find him offering his arm to me. My voice caught in my throat and all I could do was nod as I took his offered arm and let him lead me into the bar behind Chris and Leah.

"Wow!" I heard Leah exclaim as we passed through the doors, a similar remark escaping from my lips only seconds later.

I couldn't help but glance around the room with awe. The lights were constantly, but smoothly, changing colours, turning from a blue to a pink then to a purple. At the far end of the room, there was a big, white stage with microphone stands on it. The TV screens on the walls projected the words that the current stage dwellers were singing, kind of off key, to be honest.

Along the edges of the room, there were low, white tables surrounded by long, white, backless seats. Picture benches, but more couch-like. From where I was standing, they looked like they could have been made of leather, but I wasn't totally sure.

"This is a bar?" I asked, taken aback by the cozy vibe that it was giving off.

"Technically speaking, yes," Chris answered, turning my attention towards him. "Think of it as a kind of... upperclass bar." A smile slowly spread across his face. "But just you wait. It's still early for clubbers. This place will be more upbeat in a couple of hours!" He winked at me before turning his attention on the rest of the group.

"So," he smiled. "Who's ready to party?"


	28. Chapter 28: Blame It

_NEW CHAPTER IS UP! AHHHHH! I decided to split this one into two because it just felt right to me. You guys are going to flip with these new chapters! I cannot wait to finish writing them and for you guys to read them! :) _

_Shout out to **GleekStarKid** for favouriting this story! I'm glad you love it so much! :)  
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_Shout outs to my amazing commenters **iluvklainebows**, **LiesMiranda**, **Ilike****mutemath**, & **GleekStarKid**! I love all of you so much! :)  
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_**iluvklainebows**: You never cease to make me smile with your comments :D _

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_**GleekStarKid**: YES! PLEASE DO! I seriously LOVE how you did that! I loved getting to see (kind of?) your reactions to the different things that happened throughout the chapter and I would love love LOVE it if you would continue to do that :)  
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_I'm glad that you are all so keen on the idea of the sequel :-p It'll still be a long while until that happens, but I'm glad that you guys are excited for it already! :)  
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_Happy Birthday to the amazingly talented Lea Michele today! She is such an inspiration to me and I adore her! :)  
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_Don't forget to follow me on Twitter ( 11Cassaroo11) to get all of the inside scoop on when new chapters will be up as well as fun facts on past and upcoming chapters :-p Plus, you can talk to me and ask me all the questions you want! :) I'd love to hear from you guys! :-p  
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_Enjoy the new chapter! :)_

* * *

Chapter 28 - Blame It

**Kaley's POV**

"Two Strawberry Daiquiris for my two favourite girls!" Mark's voice whispered in my ear and suddenly there was a glass of frothy, pink liquid in front of me.

"Umm, is it non-alcoholic?" I asked, turning to look up at him.

"One of them has alcohol in it," he smiled, winking at me before slipping away into the small crowd that had started to grow in the room.

"But which one?" I called out after him, but he was already gone. With a sigh, I turned back to look at the glass in front of me.

"Chill, Kaley!" Leah laughed from beside me. "I'll try mine and if I taste alcohol, then yours will be fine and if I don't, then I'll switch glasses with you."

"Thanks," I smiled, breathing a sigh of relief.

She just nodded, kind of silently saying, "That's what friends are for," as she took a sip from the blue, bendy straw.

"Ok, yep, this one definitely has alcohol in it," she stated, taking another sip from her drink. "Yours is good then."

"Ok, thanks," I smiled, taking a small sip from my drink. I winced slightly as it hit my tongue.

_That's funny,_ I thought, looking down at it._ I don't remember it ever tasting like that..._

"Hey, Leah," I started to say, looking up from my drink. "Can you... Oh." She was gone. I turned around in my seat and looked across the room. I finally spotted her over near Chris and Lea, giggling at something that one of them had said.

"Oh well," I sighed, turning back to my drink. "Maybe they just make it differently here."

I had had Daiquiris before, non-alcoholic versions, obviously, but I didn't remember them ever tasting like this. But before I could contemplate this thought further, Darren suddenly plopped down on the seat beside me.

"Hey," he smiled. "Having fun?"

"I guess," I shrugged. "I mean, I've never been to a bar before, so I don't really know what to think." I took another small sip from my drink.

"What about you?" I asked, turning his question back on him. "Are you having fun?"

"I'm about to," he smiled, standing up again and holding his hand out to me. "Come with me. I want you to have a front row seat."

"Front row seat to what?" I asked suspiciously, taking his hand while still carrying my drink in the other.

"To my performance," he laughed, quickly leading me over to a seat closer to the stage. "Sit here."

"What if I don't want to?" I asked, teasingly.

"Then I will be very sad and will sing sad, sappy songs about heartbreak all night long," he replied, pouting his lip slightly and giving me his sad, puppy dog eyes again.

"Oh, alright," I laughed, sitting down in the seat that he had brought me to. "Happy?"

"Uh huh!" he beamed, nodding his head. I just laughed and rolled my eyes at him as he turned away and got up on the stage.

"Could I get some of my _lovely lady friends _to come join me on the stage?" he asked, speaking into one of the mics. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow questioningly, but I just shook my head and let Lea, Heather Morris, and Amber Riley go up on the stage with him. They all huddled around the song selector machine and seconds later, a familiar tune started to blast through the speakers.

"_If you see a faded sign at the side of the road,_"Darren started to sing. "_That says fifteen miles to the-_"

"_Love shack!_" Amber cued in. I smiled as I listened to them sing the song, taking little sips from my drink every couple of seconds. I was finally starting to get used to the funny taste it had.

"_So hurry up and bring your jukebox money!_" Darren belted into the mic, jumping down off the stage and coming towards me, dancing to the music as he did so, as Amber, Lea, and Heather all continued to sing.

"_The love shack is a little old place where we can get together! Love shack, baby!"_

Darren stuck his mic out to me, hoping that I would sing along, but I just shook my head and tried to hide my face. The mic was suddenly snatched away from my face and I looked up to watch Chris very smugly sing into it.

"_Love shack, baby!_" he winked at me as he turned away and got up on the stage. Darren looked at me and shrugged, smiling as he turned away and followed Chris back up onto the stage, grabbing a new mic along the way.

I watched, entranced, for the rest of their performance, giggling at the funny, quirky faces that Darren kept giving me.

"Wooo!" I cheered along with everyone else as they finished the song. Darren smiled at me as he put his mic back on its stand before jumping down off the stage and flopping down onto the seat beside me.

"So," he said, wiping some of the sweat from his brow. "On a scale of one to ten, how awesome were we?"

"Hmmmm," I pretended to contemplate his question. "I would have to say... eleven."

"Eleven?" he laughed. "Why eleven?"

"Cause it's my favourite number," I replied sheepishly, ducking my head as I started to feel heat flushing my cheeks.

"Awww, you're too cute!" he laughed, making me blush even harder as my heart fluttered in my chest. Darren had just called me cute!

"You look really pretty tonight," he said suddenly. I slowly looked up at him as his words registered in my mind. He was staring at me with his big, beautiful hazel eyes and as I looked into them, I could see that he truly meant what he said.

"Darren, I-" I started to say.

"Darren! Kaley!" Mark's voice cut me off. I inwardly sighed as we both turned to look at him.

He looked like he could already be slightly intoxicated. A goofy smile was plastered across his face and there was a wild look in his eyes. In his hands he held four bottles, two in each hand.

"Beers or coolers?" he asked, gesturing to the bottles in his hands.

"Mark, I don't drink," I sighed. I was sure that I had explained that to him before.

"But you already have," he replied with a cocky smirk, pointing at the Daiquiri in my hands. I felt my blood run cold as I stared down at the almost empty glass.

"But you said it wasn't alcoholic..." I whispered, though it was somehow loud enough that he could hear me.

"Nooooo," he chuckled. "I said that one had alcohol in it. I never said that the other didn't have it too!"

"You_ tricked _me!" I gasped, angrily.

"That was dirty, Mark!" Darren snapped. There was anger in his voice as well.

"Oh, come on!" Mark sighed. "Have some fun, Kaley! Live a little! It won't kill you to have a couple of drinks, for once in your life!"

"That was still really disrespectful," Darren argued.

"Alright, I'm sorry, okay?" he sighed, looking at me. "But you liked it, didn't you?"

"What?" His question caught me off guard.

"You liked it, didn't you?" he repeated with a slight smile, pointing at my glass again. "You've basically polished that thing off!"

I blushed as I realized that he was right. And the worst part was that he was right on both counts. Not only had I basically finished it off, but I had also really enjoyed it.

"Cooler," I finally said with a slight sigh, setting my glass down on the table behind me.

"What?" both guys said, surprised by my response.

"Though _unintentional_, I've already broken my vow to never drink," I explained. "But now that I have, I might as well use this opportunity to try all of the things that I wouldn't have normally tried. I finally get to see what some of these drinks taste like. I've always been a little curious." I shrugged as I stood up and took one of the bottles from his hand.

"I'm trying to '_live a little_'," I continued, echoing Mark's words back at him.

"Now it's a party!" Mark laughed, clinking a beer against the bottle in my hand. "So, Darren, beer or cooler?"

"Beer," he sighed, taking the offered bottle from Mark. "Are you sure that you want to do this, Kaley?"

"Why not?" I shrugged, taking a sip from the bottle. "You only live once, right? ... Holy crap, I can't believe that I just said that!"

"What?" Darren laughed.

"_You only live once_?" I repeated, rolling my eyes at the stupid saying. "I hate all of that _YOLO_ crap! Why did I say that?"

"That would be the alcohol talking," Mark laughed as he turned away to leave. "Have fun, you two!"

I rolled my eyes at his back as he walked away before turning back to Darren, who had a very concerned look on his face.

"What?" I asked, furrowing my brows at him questioningly.

"I just don't want you to do anything that you'll regret," he replied honestly.

"I'll be fine," I laughed, taking another sip from my cooler. "I just have one question though... Is it bad if my hand is tingling?"

"Oh dear," he laughed, shaking his head. "This is going to be an _interesting _night."

* * *

**Darren's POV**

I was a little worried about Kaley, but she continued to brush off my concerns, so I turned to the person that I trusted the most for advice.

"Chris, Kaley's drinking and I'm worried about her," I sighed as I leaned back against the bar and looked over to where she was standing across the room talking to Leah and Lea.

"Ha! I was right!" Chris exclaimed. I turned to look at him and found that he was wearing a smug look on his face.

"Right about what?" I asked, playing along.

"Didn't I say that we'd get Kaley to drink tonight?" he replied, giving me an _I-told-you-so _look as he took a sip from the glass in his hand. I wasn't totally sure what it was that he was drinking.

"Yeah, but only cause Mark tricked her," I rolled my eyes at him, upset that he wasn't more concerned about this.

"Everything happens for a reason," Chris smiled mischievously, setting his glass down on the bar behind him. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must go put part two of my plan into action." He gave me a quick, playful wink. "You may want to find a closer seat."

"A closer seat to what?" I called out after him as he turned to leave. He didn't respond. Instead, he just kept walking, smoothly making his way through the crowd towards where the girls were standing.

"Could I get a Scotch, please?" I sighed, turning around to talk to the bartender. "I think I'm gonna need it."

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

I was starting to feel really light-headed as I took another sip from my third drink of the night. This one was called _Sex on the Beach_. I couldn't help but giggle at its name as I took yet another sip of the orangey-pink liquid.

"Hello, my lovely ladies," Chris smiled as he joined our small group. "Been having fun?"

"Oh, yes!" I nodded, giggling. "_Sex on the Beach _fun!"

"I _love_ drunk Kaley!" Leah giggled beside me. "You're so much more fun this way!"

"Are you saying that I'm not fun when I'm not drunk?" I exclaimed, pouting my lip at her.

"Nah, you're just less fun than you are now," she replied, punching my arm playfully.

I turned to look at Chris, who was watching us with an amused expression, and cocked my head at him slightly.

"I don't know if I should be insulted or not," I told him, scratching my head.

"You think you're having fun now?" he said, ignoring my comment. "I'll show you what's even more fun!" He grabbed my hand suddenly and started to pull me away from Leah and Lea.

As I passed by Lea, she reached out and smoothly took my glass from me. I wanted to argue with her about it, but Chris had already pulled me too far away to do so. With a sigh, I turned my attention back in front of me, curious as to where Chris was taking me. It wasn't until we started to go up the steps that I realized what he was doing.

"No, Chris!" I exclaimed, stopping sharply halfway up the stairs. "You can't make me do this." He let out a deep sigh as he turned back to face me.

"Kaley, you can do this," he stated, fully confident in his words. "Trust me. This'll be fun."

I somehow let him drag me the rest of the way up onto the stage and place me behind of one of the mic stands. As he turned away to select a song, I slowly looked out at all of the people sitting at the tables around the room. I could feel my heart starting to beat faster, kind of sobering me a bit, and making me realize and regret this decision.

"You ready?" Chris asked, turning my attention back to him. He was standing behind his own mic stand beside me, his finger hovering over the song selector machine, waiting for my approval.

"I can't do this," I whispered, starting to turn away, wanting nothing more than to get off of this stage.

"Kaley," I felt Chris' hand grab mine and pull me back. "You can do this. I believe in you. Okay?" I couldn't speak, but I somehow managed to nod my head. Chris smiled, giving my hand a light squeeze, as he pushed the play button on the screen. A familiar tune drifted through the speakers and I started to panic as I recognized the song and realized that I would have to sing first.

The words slowly rolled onto the screen and I opened my mouth to sing, but nothing came out.

"I can't do this," I whispered to Chris as I turned away from the mic.

"No," Chris insisted. "You _can_ do this." I slowly turned back to the mic, but by that time my part had passed by.

"Just follow my lead," Chris whispered, giving my hand another light squeeze, before turning back to his own mic. Then he opened his mouth and began to sing the lyrics that rolled across the screen with his beautiful, musical voice.

_I've heard it said _

_That people come into our lives for a reason _

_Bringing something we must learn _

_And we are led _

_To those who help us most to grow_

_If we let them _

_And we help them in return _

_Well, I don't know if I believe that's true_

_But I know I'm who I am today_

_Because I knew you..._

_Like a comet pulled from orbit_

_As it passes a sun _

_Like a stream that meets a boulder _

_Halfway through the woods_

_Who can say if I've been changed for the better?_

_But because I knew you_

_I have been changed for good _

Chris' voice trailed off and he looked over at me and smiled. I suddenly realized that it was my turn to sing now. I took a deep, shaky breath and closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I did the one thing that I never thought that I would ever do again.

I sang.


	29. Chapter 29: 1 Bourbon, 1 Scotch, 1 Beer

_I'm back! Sorry that it took me so long to update. I was away at my best friend's wedding all weekend and didn't have any time to write, but I finally finished it today and I cannot wait to hear what you all think of it! :)_

_Shout outs_ _to my amazing commenters: **LiesMiranda**, **iluvklainebows**, **Ilikemu****temath**__, **GleekStarKid**, **kawaii01**, & **Ador****kableSnow**. I seriously love getting all of your comments! I love seeing your reactions to what is happening! And thank you to **GleekStarKid** for favouriting this story! :) Oh and if you guys hate me now because of how I ended the last chapter, you're going to hate me even more with how I ended this one :-p  
_

_Just a quick heads up, I am starting school tomorrow (technically today as it is after 1AM) so I will not be able to post as frequently, but I will still try to post as often as I possibly can. I am taking four english courses and a film class this year, which means a lot of boring writing assignments, but I will make sure that I make time to write for this story because I love it :) I will try to post at least once a week, if not more.  
_

_As always, I hope that you enjoy this new chapter and don't forget to leave me a comment letting me know what you thought of it! :)_

* * *

Chapter 29 - One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer

**Darren's POV**

"Does it usually get this busy?" I asked the bartender, taking a sip from my glass.

"It's a Friday, so yeah, I guess," he replied nonchalantly, focusing his attention more so on the glass in his hand that he had been cleaning for the past two minutes. "It probably doesn't help that _you and your friends_ are here." I could tell by this comment that he was not a fan of _Glee_.

_Haters gonna hate,_ I laughed to myself, taking another sip from my drink.

Within minutes, my drink was gone, so I ordered another one, opting out of having another Scotch and choosing to get a glass of Bourbon instead.

As I took my first sip from this glass, I heard music starting to play. I instantly recognized the _Wicked_ classic, _For Good_, which Lea and Chris had sung on the show.

_They're probably going to show off their amazing duet to everyone,_ I smirked to myself as I took another sip. Sure enough, Chris' voice slowly started to fill the room. I smiled as I listened to him sing. He really did have an incredible voice.

His voice slowly trailed off as his part ended and I waited for Lea's powerful voice to replace it... but it didn't. Instead, a quiet, shaky voice slowly started to sing.

_It well may be_

_That we will never meet again _

_In this lifetime_

_So let me say before we part_

_So much of me_

_Is made of what I learned from you_

_You'll be with me_

_Like a hand print on my heart _

_And now whatever way our stories end_

_I know you have re-written mine_

_By being my friend _

The voice slowly grew stronger and more confident as it continued singing, and as it grew in confidence, it grew more and more familiar.

"_Oh my gosh_!" I gasped, my mouth dropping open. It was _her_. The mystery singer.

My heart started to race in my chest. This was the moment that I had been dreaming of for days now. This was it. I was finally going to find out who she was.

I slowly turned around and looked towards the stage. And there, standing beside Chris, singing into the mic, was none other than_ Kaley_.

"_Kaley_?" I whispered, completely stunned. Kaley was the mystery singer?

My mind suddenly flickered back to a memory of Kaley talking about how she didn't sing.

_"I don't sing in front of people anymore," she had said. _

_You don't sing in front of people... but you sing when you think you're alone,_ I realized suddenly.

It was finally starting to make sense. Why I could never find the mystery singer. Kaley would have stopped singing if she thought that anyone could hear her.

My mind suddenly flickered back to another memory, a memory of me charging into the black box, trying to follow the voice, but instead finding Kaley and Chris.

_Chris! _I suddenly looked over at him. Chris had been in there! Had he heard her too?

At that very moment, Chris looked over at me and gave me a sly smile. His eyes suddenly flickered over to Kaley, then back to me, his eyebrows raising as if to say, "Got it now?"

I felt my mouth drop open again. He had known! But why didn't he tell me?

"Why didn't you tell me?" I mouthed to him, to which he just smiled and gave me a wink before turning his attention back on Kaley and rejoining her in the song.

I followed his example and turned my attention back on Kaley as well. She was smiling, and her eyes lit up as she stared back at Chris and sang along with him.

_Who can say if I've been_

_Changed for the better?_

_I do believe I have been _

_Changed for the better _

"_And, because I knew you,_" Chris held Kaley's hand up and lightly brushed his lips against it, making something tingle inside of me.

"_Because I knew you,_" she echoed back, blushing slightly.

"_Because I knew you,_" they both sang together, their hands still tightly clasped. "_I have been changed... for good._"

Their voices slowly faded away with the music and after a second of silence, the whole room burst out in applause. This made Kaley blush even more and I couldn't help but smile at how cute it made her look.

Chris leaned down and whispered something in her ear, to which she smiled and nodded her head. And then she looked up... and our eyes met.

Suddenly, I felt like I had always known that it had been Kaley that I had been looking for, not some mystery singer... I had just been too afraid to admit it, too afraid to start feeling something for someone else again. I had been using the mystery singer as an excuse to ignore the feelings that I very clearly did have for Kaley, feelings that seemed to grow stronger and stronger every time that I saw her.

Kaley suddenly broke eye contact with me as Leah and Lea ran up to her, squealing with excitement, of course. I watched her blush and smile bashfully for a couple of seconds as she talked to her friends before I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"So," Chris smiled as I turned towards him. "What'd you think?"

"You sneaky, little-" I started to say.

"You can thank me later," Chris cut me off, laughing lightly.

"How did you know? That it was her?" I asked. "Or better question, how long have you known?"

"Since her birthday," he admitted with a shrug. "I didn't tell you because, honestly? Which is the better way to find out? Me just telling you or you getting to kind of find out yourself... with a little help from me, of course."

"Though I'm mad that you didn't tell me," I replied, giving him a small shove before sneaking a quick glance at her. "I have to admit, hearing her sing was... kind of _surreal_. I just still can't believe that it was Kaley that I've been searching for."

"But wasn't she the one you were always searching for?" Chris commented, echoing my own thoughts from just moments earlier.

"Chris, you know me too well," I laughed.

"So," Chris poked my arm playfully. "What are you going to do with this newfound knowledge?"

"I'm going to do what I do best," I smiled. "I'm going to sing about it."

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

The adrenaline rush that I had gotten from singing onstage would not go away. When I had first gotten up there, I felt like I was going to die, but once I had started singing, it all started to feel more natural and comfortable again. It felt like I was finally coming home to a place that I had not been in years.

Ever since my confidence had been shot, I had struggled to perform onstage, worrying that maybe I wasn't good enough. It just got worse and worse after that until I wasn't able to sing in front of people anymore. I was too afraid of them judging me and making me feel like I wasn't good enough, like I didn't deserve to be singing onstage.

"Kaley, that was _amazing_!" Lea exclaimed with a small squeal, pulling me back out of my thoughts. "I knew that Chris was going to try to get you to sing, but I also knew how you felt about singing in front of people, so I wasn't sure if you would do it or not, but I am so glad that you did! Seriously, Kaley, you have a _beautiful_ voice!"

"Thank you," I blushed, ducking my head.

"Ahhh, Kaley! That was awesome!" Leah squealed, tackling me into a hug. "I knew that you could do it!" She lowered her voice and leaned in closer to whisper in my ear. "I think that Darren was impressed too. He couldn't take his eyes off of you!"

I suddenly got a strange, bubbly feeling in my stomach as I thought about how Darren had been staring at me, how our eyes had met just moments ago. He had looked at me with such awe... and something else that I just couldn't place...

I slowly peeked over at him again out of the corner of my eye and caught him sneaking little peeks at me too, which made my stomach bubble even more.

"I think I need another drink," I told the girls, wanting an excuse to go over to the bar and talk to Darren.

"Here, I've still got yours here," Lea said, handing me the drink that she had taken from me before I went onstage. I inwardly sighed as I took it from her. My talk with Darren would have to wait. I snuck another glance over in his direction and was surprised to find that he was gone.

"Let's go sit down," Leah suggested, shifting uncomfortably. "Though these shoes look amazing, they are not the most comfortable things in the world."

"Alright," I laughed, following her over to one of the tables. I sat down on one of the cushioned seats and took a small sip from my drink. My head was starting to buzz slightly, but I wasn't totally sure if that was from the alcohol or the excitement of being onstage again... It might have been a combination of both.

I pushed away these thoughts as music started to pour from the speakers again and I looked towards the stage, eager to see who was performing. I looked up just in time to see Darren spin around and point at me. And then he started to sing.

* * *

**Darren's POV **

"_You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar,_" I started to sing, pointing straight at Kaley. "_When I met you._"

I jumped down off of the stage and moved towards Kaley, grabbing her hand pulling her to her feet.

"_I picked you out, I shook you up, and turned you around,_" I proceeded to spin her around, making her giggle. "_Turned you into someone new._" She tried to sit down again, but I wouldn't let her, not yet at least.

"_Now five years later on, you've got the world at your feet,_" I smoothly dropped down to her feet, never breaking eye contact with her. "_Success has been so easy for you._" I slowly started to shimmy my way back up.

"_But don't forget it's me who put you where you are now, and I can put you back down too!_" I lightly pushed her so that she fell back down into her seat before turning away and going back up on the stage.

"_Don't, don't you want me? You know I can't believe when I hear that you won't see me,_" I slowly beckoned Kaley with my finger to come up on stage with me. She seemed hesitant at first, but as I continued to sing, she finally caved and came up with me.

"_Don't, don't you want me? You know I don't believe it when you say that you don't need me._" By this time, Kaley was onstage beside me, ready to sing into her mic with me.

_It's much too late to find_

_You think you've changed your mind_

_You'd better change it back or we will both be sorry_

_Don't you want me, baby?_

_Don't you want me, oh?_

_Don't you want me, baby? _

_Don't you want me, oh?_

Kaley jumped down off the stage as she started to sing her solo part and I followed her.

"_I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar, that much is true,_" she stood in the middle of the room and beckoned me to come to her, which I gladly did.

"_But even then I knew I'd find a much better place,_" she grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me down closer to her, so close that if I leaned a little farther down that our lips would be touching. "_Either with or without you!_" She suddenly pushed me away and moved around to the far side of one of the rows of tables. She slowly beckoned for me to come to her again and, in the spur of the moment, I crawled up on top of the table and crawled down to her, watching as she swayed to the music.

"_The five years we have had have been such good times,_" she continued to sing as I reached the end of the table. "_I still love you._" She playfully traced a finger along my cheek and I found myself leaning into her touch. She stepped away suddenly and I tumbled off of the table. I looked up at her, surprised, but she just gave me a cute, innocent smile as she continued to sing.

"_But now I think it's time I live my life on my own,_" she gave me a playfully shrug as she turned away and headed back towards the stage. "_I guess it's just what I must do._"

I smiled, shaking my head as I got back up and followed her back to the stage to sing again.

_Don't (don't), don't you want me? (don't you want me?)_

_You know I can't believe it_

_When I hear that you won't see me_

_Don't (don't), don't you want me? (don't you want me)_

_You know I don't believe it_

_When you say that you don't need me. _

_It's much too late to find_

_You think you've changed your mind_

_You'd better change it back or we will both be sorry_

_Don't you want me, baby?_

_Don't you want me, oh?_

_Don't you want me, baby? _

_Don't you want me, oh?_

There was a short, little, musical interlude here, to which we started to dance around to. Kaley kept giving me flirty little looks that made my heart do somersaults as she danced around the stage.

_Don't you want me, baby?_

_Don't you want me, oh?_

_Don't you want me, baby? (baby)_

_Don't you want me, oh?_

We started circling each other at this point, our eyes locked on each other's, completely forgetting about everyone else in the room. At that moment, it felt like we were the only ones there. And it felt like I was pouring out my heart to her through this song, and that she was pouring it right back to me too.

_Don't you want me, baby? (baby)_

_Don't you want me, oh?_

_Don't you want me, baby? (oh)_

_Don't you want me, oh?_

We stopped and stood face to face as we sang the last line, our bodies so close to each other that we were almost touching.

_Don't you want me, baby?_

The music slowly faded out, but I barely noticed. I was so lost in her eyes, her deep, beautiful, brown eyes, eyes that always seemed to sparkle, that I barely even noticed the thunderous applause that we were getting. All I could see was her. And at that moment, I knew that I was falling for her. And I was falling _hard_.

I slowly reached up and brushed a piece of her hair away from her face, carefully tucking it behind her ear. I let my fingers linger there, not wanting to break away from her.

I began to picture kissing her in my mind. I could see myself slowly leaning down as I pulled her closer to me, gently placing my lips on hers. I pictured how soft they would feel against mine, how sweet they would taste. Just thinking about it made me want it even more, and I slowly started to lean down towards her.

But then she suddenly turned away.

"Kaley! Darren! You guys were _incredible_!" Leah squealed, jumping up on the stage and coming over to us, with Chris and Lea following right behind her.

"Thanks," Kaley smiled shyly, her eyes briefly flickering over to me as a blush slowly spread across her face. "Can we get down from here now? Everyone's staring..." Sure enough, everyone was still watching us.

I was suddenly glad that I hadn't kissed her. Kaley was not a fan of being in the spotlight. She didn't like being the centre of attention and me kissing her here in front of all of these people would have been too much for her. Plus, I secretly did want our first kiss to be _special_... and hopefully more private.

As I followed everyone else down off of the stage, I made a promise to myself that I would try to keep Kaley out of the limelight as best as I could, especially if something did start to happen between us. I knew how harsh some fans could be on any girlfriend that I had, having seen it multiple times when dating Vanessa, and Kaley was so sensitive and sweet...

_I don't know if she'd be able to take that kind of backlash,_ I sighed to myself as I watched her lean back against the bar and take a sip from her glass. _But I'm going to do everything that I can to keep her safe. She's too special to lose..._

That thought suddenly made me realize something.

_I don't want to lose her._

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

I must have passed out because the next thing I knew, I found myself lying in bed, slowly starting to wake up. My head pounded slightly, a side effect that I decided to credit to all of the alcohol that I had had.

_Crap, how much did I drink?_ I wondered, wincing as the sunlight streamed in through the window and pierced my slowly opening eyes.

"Uhhhh," I moaned, closing my eyes again and burying my face in my pillow, hiding it from the light. It took me a couple of minutes before I attempted to open my eyes again.

I quietly yawned as I slowly turned my head and opened my eyes, blinking slowly as they adjusted to the light.

_Ok, that wasn't so bad,_ I smiled to myself, snuggling back into the warm embrace behind me as I let my eyes slowly drift close again. _I can handle a little hangover..._

My eyes suddenly shot open and I was suddenly very aware of the extra body heat pressing up against my back. I felt my whole body tense up as my mind raced to try to recall what had happened last night.

_You went to the bar with Darren, Chris, and Leah... Leah!_ I felt a huge weight being lifted off of me. Leah and I had must have both crashed in the same bed last night, probably both too wasted to even care.

_It's just Leah, _I told myself, letting my eyes close again. _It's just Leah._

_Then why is Leah's arm draped over you?_ my subconscious piped in and I was suddenly very aware of said arm that was gently draped across where my waist was.

_We both move around in our sleep,_ I argued with myself. _You can't control what your body does when you're asleep. _

As if on cue, her arm suddenly curled tighter around me, pulling me back closer into her embrace.

"Leah," I moaned, trying to shove her arm away from me. It wouldn't move.

"Leah," I sighed again, turning my body slightly to look at her.

_Oh good Lord, please no,_ was all that I could think as my eyes fell on the sleeping figure beside me.

It was not Leah.


	30. Chapter 30: Last Friday Night

_NEW CHAPTER! This has seriously been my most favourite chapter to write! :) It has also been my longest chapter yet :) I can't wait to hear what you guys think of it! So I wanted to bring up a new relationship name, this one for Chris and Leah. I accidentally combined their names whilest reading this chapter to "Leah" and ended up saying Chreah. It looks odd, but I really liked how it sounded. What do you guys think? You get your Daley Chreah dose :-p  
_

_Ok, so first I would like to shout out to my new followers: **Aeronwen **& **acciomusic12**. I'd love to hear from you guys and hear what you think of the story :)  
_

_Next, shout outs to my ever amazing commenters: **Britgleek**, **L****iesMiranda**, **iluvklainebows**, **AdorkableSnow**, **Guest**, & **GleekStarKid**. I seriously adore reading your comments! I love hearing what you guys think of my story :) And I absolutely adore the live reviews from __**AdorkableSnow** & **GleekStarKid**. I love getting to "see" your reactions to all of the different things that happen in the story :)_  


___Ok, I will not keep you guys waiting any longer. I know that you hated the cliffhanger, but trust me, it'll be worth it :) I cannot thank you guys enough for continuing to love and support this story. Please, spread the word about this story. Share it with your friends. I'd love to have more people love it too :) As always, enjoy this new chapter and don't forget to leave me a comment/review! :)_

* * *

Chapter 30 - Last Friday Night**  
**

**Kaley's POV**

I could feel myself starting to hyperventilate as I stared down at the sleeping form beside me.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh," I was starting to freak out. _Had I... Had we..._

I quickly checked myself and was relieved to find that I still had all of my clothes on. I had broken my vow to never drink last night... Who knows what other vows I could have potentially broken.

"Kaley?" Leah's groggy voice tore my attention away from the man beside me. I looked over to find Leah slowly sitting up in the bed that was beside the one that I was in. She rubbed her eyes, wincing slightly, as she sat up. She was very clearly affected by her hangover as well.

"What's wrong, Kaley?" she asked, yawning slightly.

"Leah, I'm-" I started to say.

"Leah?" another groggy voice said and slowly another figure sat up in bed... beside Leah.

"Why are you yelling?" Chris asked, rubbing his eyes.

"I wasn't yelling, I- OH MY GOSH!" This time she really did yell. Chris' eyes shot all of the way open at her exclamation.

"What?" he asked, a hint of panic in his voice. "What's wrong?"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY BED?" she demanded, her eyes wide with shock. She suddenly turned back to look at me. "I'm not still dreaming, am I?"

"Actually, you're in _my_ bed..." Chris laughed, and I suddenly became aware of our surroundings. The one thing that I hadn't noticed when I had woken up was that I was not in my own room.

The room in which we now occupied looked semi-like a hotel room, just more fancy and upperclass like. There was a large TV against the far wall, flat screen, of course, and a couple of dressers. There was a night stand between the two beds that held a plain looking lamp and a digital clock that read 1:47.

The bed sheets sprawled around me where a fine white colour and were surprisingly really soft and comfortable. There were two doors, one leading out of the room and the other to the bathroom... or at least that's where I assumed they led.

"That still doesn't explain why you're in the same bed as me, even if it is your bed," Leah's comment brought my attention back to them.

"You fell asleep on my bed when we brought you back here," Chris shrugged. "And then I guess I must have dozed off before we could move you both into the same bed."

"We?" Leah echoed. "Wait, if you're in bed with me, then that means that..." She turned back to look at me again, her eyes and mouth wide with excitement.

And as if on cue, the bed shifted behind me and I suddenly felt his warm breath on the back of my neck.

"Good morning," he whispered softly in my ear, sending chills running down my spine.

"Speak of the devil," Chris laughed. "Morning, Darren!"

"Morning," I could hear the smile in his voice. "That was quite a night last night, eh?" I slowly turned to look at him before answering.

"I- Oh!" I felt my cheeks starting to blush as my eyes trailed over his exposed chest. He looked down to see what had made me blush and sighed.

"Kaley, are you going to do that every time that I'm shirtless?" he asked, making me blush even more.

"N-No," I stuttered, looking away from him.

"Good," he laughed. "Cause that would make things really awkward when we go to the beach."

"We're going to the beach?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah, we talked about this just last night," he gave me a funny look. "Don't you remember?"

"No," I replied, starting to panic slightly. "I can't remember anything from last night... aside from the fact that we went to a bar..."

"Really?" he sounded surprised and a little upset. "Nothing?"

"No," I felt like I wanted to cry. "I don't remember anything that happened. I don't remember talking about going to the beach... I don't even remember how I ended up here!"

"Well, it's a long story," he sighed.

"Cause it was a long night," Chris laughed. "We didn't get back here till almost _three in the morning_!"

"Please, I need to know what happened," I pleaded.

"Alright," Darren sighed, running his fingers through his curly hair. "This is what happened last night."

* * *

**Darren's POV**

_~ Last Night ~ _

After our duet onstage, our little group retired to a table in the back corner, isolating ourselves a bit from the rest of the room. Kaley had a new drink in her hand and she was chatting animatedly with Leah, completely oblivious to the fact that I had almost kissed her just ten minutes either.

"Can I say _'I told you so' _yet?" Chris asked me, drawing my attention away from Kaley.

"About what?" I asked.

"You and Kaley," he smirked. "You were _totally_ going to kiss her."

"I was not!" I argued, slightly unsettled that Chris had noticed that. If he had noticed, who else had?

"I swear, your naitivity surprises even me," Chris sighed, looking up towards the Heavens. "And Darren, honey? I can tell when you're lying."

I rolled my eyes at him and turned away to find Mark sliding into the seat beside Kaley.

"Guys, there's a bar next door called the _Arena_ and it is siiiiiick!" his words were slightly slurred. "You guys _have_ to come check it out!"

I looked around the room, then pictured a crowded bar, and shook my head.

"Nah, I think it's more comfortable here," I told him.

"But they've got a daaaance flooooor," he persisted. "And they won't let you do shots here! I bet that Kaley would be fun to do shots with! Whaddaya say, Kaley? Wanna try your luck against the defending champ?" He nudged her slightly, making her giggle and making me feel an uncomfortable twinge in my stomach.

"No, I don't think-" I started to protest.

"Oh, come on, Dare!" Kaley exclaimed, starting to get out of her seat. "_Live a little_, right, Mark?" She giggled as he stood up beside her.

"Shall we?" he asked with a smile, offering her his arm.

"Let's do this!" she smiled back, taking his arm. "Imma gonna take you down, boy! Bring on the shots! Wooo! Come on, Leahs!" She linked her free arm through Leah's as Mark started to lead her away.

I sighed as I watched them walk away.

"Are you seriously just going to sit there feeling sorry for yourself?" Chris demanded, getting up from the table. "Come on, we're going to the _Arena_." He hooked his arm through Lea's, whom had stayed back to wait for him, and turned and followed the others out of the building. With a sigh, I reluctantly followed them.

Inside the_ Arena_, the sound level increased tenfold. I slowly eased my way through the clumps of people, trying to find Kaley, and winced as someone suddenly stepped back on my foot.

"Oh, I am so- Oh my word! You're Darren Criss!" the young blonde in front of me exclaimed. Her face was coated with so much makeup that she could have passed as being a _Barbie_. Her bright, blue eyes stared at me with wonder and I found myself suddenly very uncomfortable under her intense stare.

"Sorry, but I'm looking for someone," I tried to excuse myself as I attempted to step past her.

"You've found her," she smiled flirtatiously, stepping in front of me.

"I'm sorry, but I'm with someone tonight," I sighed, moving to pass her again. "And you are not her."

"Wait!" she exclaimed, grabbing my arm. "My friends will never believe that I met you! Can I at least get a picture with you?"

"Uh..." I looked frantically around the room, trying to spot someone that I knew, but to no avail.

"Yeah, I guess I can take one picture," I sighed.

"Awesome!" she squealed, digging into her purse and pulling out a small, pink camera.

"Say cheese!" she said as she held the camera out in front of us. I smiled politely for the picture and just before the flash went off, I felt something moist touch my cheek.

_Seriously!_ my mind screamed as the flash went off and I pulled away from her. I hurriedly wiped my face as I turned and walked away, partly disgusted.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't usually get this upset when people kiss my cheek for pictures... at least not when they ask if they can. I disliked when people would do it in the spur of the moment because what if I had turned my face suddenly? Plus, with this girl, I had very clearly told her that I was not interested, yet she continued to flirt with me.

I let out another sigh as I continued to walk away. Such is the life of a celebrity, unfortunately.

"Come on, Kaley! You can do it!" a familiar voice cheered to my left. I turned and followed the voice over to the bar where I found Mark and Kaley in the middle of a heated shots battle. I looked at the number of empty glasses on the bar and frowned.

_This is not a good thing for a first time drinker,_ I thought as I moved closer to where Kaley sat, who was about to down another glass.

"Ok, I think you've had enough," I said, taking the glass from her hand.

"But-" she started to protest, reaching for the glass. I grabbed her hand with my free one as I set the glass down on the counter.

"No, Kaley," I said softly but sternly, pulling her hand away. "This isn't like you."

"Party pooper," she mumbled under her breath as she tore her hand out of my grasp and crossed her arms over her chest, pouting slightly. "I was totally winning!"

"You were not!" Mark argued, his words heavily slurred.

"Was too!" she argued back, pushing me out of the way slightly so that she could see Mark better.

"You gotta admit, this is kind of amusing," Chris commented from beside me. I just rolled my eyes at him as I watched the two continue to argue about who had won.

"Stop it!" Leah's voice suddenly snapped from somewhere behind us. Chris and I both turned around to look for her. She was a couple feet away, backed up against a table by a guy with wavy, black hair, who was clearly trying to put unwanted moves on her.

Within seconds, Chris was charging over towards them, with me following right behind him.

"Stop it, James," Leah said, trying to push the taller boy away from herself.

"Come on, Leah, babes, you know you want to be with me again," his words were dripping with seduction as he continued to close the gap between them. "All I want is one kiss, that one first kiss that you would never give me..." He grabbed her chin and turned her face towards himself, then started to lean down as if he was going to kiss her, all the while Leah struggled against him.

"Hey!" Chris snapped, grabbing the guy's, whom Leah had called James, shoulder and pulling him away from Leah.

"Hey! What's your problem, man?!" James snapped.

"My problem is that you're hitting on my friend when she clearly isn't into you," Chris snarled, glaring at the blue-eyed boy. "So back off! She's _not_ interested."

"I just want what's rightfully mine," he snarled back, turning back towards Leah again.

"If you're talking about her first kiss, you're out of luck," Chris smirked. "She's already had her first kiss. And it was with me."

"You?" he spat, glaring at Chris. "But you're a freaking _queer_!"

I felt my blood starting to boil and I suddenly surged forward and grabbed him by the front of his shirt.

"Don't you ever call him that again!" I snarled, the front of his shirt twisting up in the clutch of my fists. "Apologize to him!"

"To that _homo-explosion_?" he laughed. "Ha! Fat chance!"

That was it. I pulled back my fist, ready to knock his lights out, but a gentle hand touched my shoulder, stopping me.

"Let him go," Chris said softly.

"What?" I snapped.

"Let him go," he repeated. "He's not worth it. His words are nothing but empty insecurities."

I reluctantly let go off him, though not without giving him a rough shove as I did so.

"Beat it, James," I snapped as he fixed his shirt. "You're not wanted here."

"This isn't over," he growled before turning and disappearing into the crowd of people.

"Are you alright?" Chris asked Leah as I slowly turned back to look at them.

"I-I'm fine," she gave us a weak, fake smile. "I think that I could use another drink now."

"Come on," Chris said, lightly guiding her back towards the bar. "I'll get you something to drink. It's on me."

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

"Wait, you mean James was _hitting_ on me?" Leah gasped, her mouth dropping open.

"I guess that Kaley's not the only one having trouble remembering things from last night," Chris joked, earning himself a slight glare from each of the girls.

"Ok, so what happened next?" Kaley asked, turning her attention back on me. "None of that explains how we ended up here."

"I'm getting to that," I laughed. "All in due time. Ok, so after having a few more drinks to forget about the little _run in _with James, Leah decided that she wanted to go out on the dance floor..."

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

"Chris!" Leah squealed, appearing suddenly in front of us as we sat at the bar sipping our drinks.

"Come dance with me!" she pleaded, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him to his feet.

"No, no, that's okay," Chris laughed, waving her away. "I'm not much of a dancer."

"But you dance on _Glee_ ALL the time!" she argued with a huff.

"That's because it's my job," he sighed. "Dancing has never been my forte."

"Oh, you're no fun!" she huffed, turning away. "Kevin!" She went over to where he sat a couple of stools away.

"Kevin, come dance with me!" she grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet.

"Sure," he laughed, letting her lead him out onto the dance floor.

"Chris, why didn't you go with her?" I asked, turning my attention away from the dance floor to look at him. "You're letting another guy move in on your girl!"

"She's not my girl," Chris sighed. "Well, she is, but she isn't... You know what I mean!" He let out an unhappy huff as he took another sip from his drink.

"And you're one to talk," he continued, pointing back towards the dance floor. "What's that you said about letting another guy move in on your girl?"

My eyes followed where his finger was pointing and I felt my heart sink as I saw Mark dancing with Kaley. Very closely.

"Well, unlike you, I'm actually going to do something about that," I said, getting up from my seat. "Here, hold this." I passed him my drink before heading out onto the dance floor.

The song _Give Me Everything _by _Pitbull_ was blasting through the speakers as I weaved my way over to where Mark was grinding up against Kaley. A weird emotion washed over me as I watched them dance and I knew that I had to break them apart.

The song suddenly reached the part where it says, "_Grab somebody sexy, tell 'em hey!_", so I reached out and grabbed Kaley's arm and spun her towards me.

"Hey," I smiled as I pulled her closer to me. "Mind if I cut in?"

A smile spread across her lips as she looked up at me and said, "I thought you'd never ask."

I dropped her down into a sudden dip, feeling another sudden urge to kiss her, but I resisted. It was still a too public place.

I pulled her up sharply, her face stopping just inches from mine, so close that our noses almost touched.

"Dang, Darren! You really _can_ dance!" she exclaimed, slightly catching her breath.

"You ain't so bad yourself!" I grinned, spinning her out and pulling her back in again, moving smoothly with the music.

"No, my dancing is comparable to a tap dancing cow!" she giggled. "Though I did learn this one move from my favourite_ StarKid_..." She broke away from me suddenly, pursed her lips, stuck out the pointer finger on each hand, and proceeded to dance around, moving her arms up to down to the beat. I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing.

"Wow, whoever you learned that from must be a really goofy dancer!" I laughed.

"I prefer to just think of him as goofy," she laughed as well.

"You say he's a _StarKid_, eh?" I asked, joining her in the dance. "I wonder if I'll ever get to meet him."

"I'm sure you could," she giggled. "All you have to do is look in the_ mirror_!"

"Oh, you think you're so funny, don't you?" I replied sarcastically.

"What can I say?" she shrugged, winking at me. "You must bring out the worst in me!"

"Ok, come here you!" I laughed, grabbing her from behind by the waist and picking her up slightly. This earned me a satisfying squeal from her.

"Put me down! Put me down!" she exclaimed through fits of giggles, lightly batting at my arms that were wrapped around her waist.

"What's the magic word?" I teased, swinging her slightly.

"Eek! Darren!" she squealed, grabbing onto my arms. "Don't do that!"

"What's the magic word?" I repeated, giving her a light squeeze.

"Darren, I swear if you don't put me down right now I'm going to-" Kaley began.

"Wooooo!" Leah suddenly yelled, drawing both of our attentions over to her. She was standing up on top of the bar, dancing to the music. Curious, I set Kaley down and we both walked over towards her.

"Leah, get down from there!" Chris' voice was slightly worried. "You're going to hurt yourself!"

"No, I'm not!" she giggled, downing the rest of the drink in her hand. "Waitor! Waitor! I need more!" She held up her empty glass to show what she meant.

"You'd better get your friend down and have her behave or else I'm going to have to ask you all to leave," the bartender scowled at Chris.

"I'm trying!" Chris snapped back before turning his attention back on Leah. "Leah, come on, come down, please! I'll go dance with you if you come down, okay?"

"How about you come up here and dance with me?" she giggled, continuing to dance on top of the counter.

"Leah, I'm serious," Chris sighed. "You're going to hurt yourse-" Just as he said that, Leah slipped and tumbled down off the bar.

"Oh my gosh! Leah!" Chris exclaimed, rushing to her side instantly. "Are you okay?"

"Okay?" she giggled. "That was _awesome_! Let's do that again!" She started to try to climb back up on the bar again, but Chris grabbed her and pulled her back down.

"I think that you've done enough table dancing for one night," he told her as he sat her back down on one of the stools.

"Man, this is so much fun!" she exclaimed, picking up a random drink from the counter top. "We should do this again tomorrow night! And the night after that!"

"No, Leah," Chris laughed. "We've got shows on Sunday. No drinking tomorrow night or else we won't be sober enough to perform."

"What about the beach?" Kaley piped in suddenly. "Let's go to the beach! People party on the beach, don't they?"

"I guess if you guys want to, we can," I shrugged. "I haven't been to the beach in a while. That sounds fun."

"Kaley, come dance with me!" Leah said suddenly, pulling Kaley back out on the dance floor with her. I just shook my head and laughed as we watched them dance... well, attempt to dance.

"Man, they are _so_ wasted!" I commented. "We'll have to make sure that they get home ok."

"We can just get Steven to take them home," Chris suggested. "He's taken them home before, so he knows where they live."

"Except that I gave Steven the night off," I replied sheepishly. "I figured that we were going to be out late and I didn't want him to have to wait up for us."

"So, how are we getting back to the hotel?" Chris asked. "Or better question, how are we going to get them home?"

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

"Well, you obviously didn't get us home," Leah commented suddenly. "And I _can_ dance, for your information!"

"Hush!" Chris scolded. "We're getting to that! Now, as you were saying?"

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

When we finally managed to pull the girls off of the dance floor and get them outside, it was well after 2am.

"We could call them a cab," Chris suggested, digging in his pocket for his phone. "Where do you guys live?"

"We live in New York!" Leah giggled. "Duh!"

"Yes, we know that," Chris sighed. "But where in New York do you live?"

"We live _everywhere_!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms out and spinning around. This just made her dizzy and combine that with being drunk, she was soon stumbling all over the sidewalk, tripping over her own feet.

"Easy there, honey," Chris laughed, catching her before she fell. He put her arm around his shoulder to help support her weight. "Well, that was no help. What about you, Kaley? Can you tell us where you live?"

The only response that we got out of her was a slight groan. The alcohol was affecting the two girls in very different ways. Leah had started as quiet and mellow before evolving into wild and crazy, whereas Kaley had been the complete opposite. She had suddenly elapsed into the quiet, mellow phase, half passed out as she leaned up against me. I had to put my arm around her as well to keep her from falling over.

"Ok, never mind," Chris sighed, looking back at me. "Now what?"

"Well, we could bring them back to the hotel with us and maybe see if they can stay with Lea and Dianna in their room," I suggested. Lea had left a little while ago with Dianna, Mark, and a couple of other people, while Leah and Kaley had wanted to stay a bit longer.

"Ok, that could work," Chris nodded. "Come on, Leah, we're going to the hotel now." Chris slowly turned her around and started to lead her away down the sidewalk, with Kaley and I following right behind.

"_You all, everybody,_" Kaley mumbled, half singing, as she stumbled along beside me. "_You all, everybody. Acting like you're stupid people._"

"What are you singing?" I chuckled, looking down at her. She looked up at me with half dazed eyes and gave me a crooked smile.

"It's _Drive Shaft_," she stated, as if I should have already known that. "You know, _Drive Shaft_? And Charlie?" I just shook my head, laughing slightly. She squinted her eyes at me and pursed her lips in a slight scowl.

"Don't you ever watch _Lost_?" she huffed.

"The TV show?" I asked.

"Duh!" she retorted. "What else would I be talking about?"

"Kaley, settle!" I laughed. "You're getting worked up over a _TV show_! It's nothing to get in a fight over!"

"Hmph!" she huffed, leaning her head back down against my shoulder. After a couple of seconds of saying nothing, I heard her quietly mumble, "I hated the ending anyways." I couldn't help but shake my head at this comment. She was too cute.

It ended up taking us longer to walk back to the hotel than we had expected, almost getting lost twice on our way there. But we finally found it, and as we headed for the entrance, I heard a sudden noise in the quiet night.

_CLICK._

My head snapped towards the direction that the sound had come from, but I didn't see anything. It was too dark.

"Come on, let's get the girls inside," I said to Chris as I hurried Kaley through the doors.

Within minutes, we were up the elevator and standing outside of Lea's hotel room.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

There was no answer.

"Lea? Dianna?" I called out, pounding on the door a little harder. "It's Darren. Please answer the door!"

Still nothing.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they were already asleep," Chris sighed. "They had a fair amount of alcohol tonight. I think we all did, really. I don't think that they are going to answer."

"Now what?" I sighed, turning away from the door.

"We could always bring them back to our room," Chris suggested. "There are two beds. We can put them in one and we could share the other... that is, if you don't mind sharing?"

"House keeping!" Leah suddenly announced, banging loudly on the door across the hall.

"Oh crap!" I exclaimed. "Our room, now!" I grabbed Kaley and hurried her down the hall to where our room was, Chris following right behind with a very giggly Leah. Luckily, our room was around the corner, out of sight, so as soon as we rounded the corner, I stopped and breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"Who's there?" a very angry voice demanded from down the hallway.

"Me-" Leah started answer, but was cut off as Chris clamped his hand down over her mouth.

"Leah! Shush!" he quietly warned, pulling her back farther away from the corner. She stared up at him, slightly annoyed, but her expression quickly turned from annoyed to awestruck. She slowly reached up and touched her fingers to Chris' lips and mumbled something.

"What?" Chris asked, taking his hand away.

"I got a kiss from Chris," she giggled. "I got a _Chris Kiss_!" She turned and looked at Kaley, who was half asleep on my shoulder, hoping that she would join in her excitement.

"Kaley, I got a _Chris Kiss_!" she exclaimed, tugging on Kaley's arm, trying to wake her up. "I got a Chris Kiss! I got a Chris Kiss!" Then she broke out into a fit of giggles.

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

"Oh my gosh," Leah exclaimed, burying her face in the pillow on her lap, embarrassed.

"That's all you can say?" Chris chuckled. "I guess my kisses must leave you speechless, huh?" Leah looked up at him and gave him a sharp glare, suddenly shoving him... off the bed.

"Hey!" Chris exclaimed from the floor. "What was that for?" Leah ignored him and looked back at me with a successful grin.

"So," Leah smiled. "You were saying?"

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

"Come on, let's get them inside before we wake up more people," I said to Chris as I started to lead Kaley a little further down the hallway to our room. I stopped outside the door and put the key in, pushing it open when it unlocked.

I carefully led Kaley into the room and gently helped her sit down on my bed. When I let go of her, she slowly laid down on the bed and let out a deep, relaxed sigh.

"Ok, I guess that they're getting my bed-" I started to say as I turned back to look at Chris, who had just walked in the door with Leah.

Leah let out a huge gasp and pointed at the other bed. Chris' bed. She suddenly bolted towards it, loudly exclaiming, "I want this one!", as she leaped onto it, bellyflop style.

"But that's my bed..." Chris exclaimed softly as Leah started to cuddle one of his pillows.

"Chris, it's fine," I chuckled slightly. "Here, help me move Kaley over there too." I turned back to Kaley, preparing to pick her up, when my phone suddenly started to ring. I pulled it out and looked down at the caller ID and swore.

"Crap, she's got to stop calling me!" I exclaimed, hitting the ignore button.

_She can talk to my voicemail,_ I decided, sliding my phone back into my pocket. But that apparently wasn't good enough for her because seconds later, my phone rang again.

"Ugh! What? What do you want, Vanessa?" I asked angrily as I put the phone up to my ear.

"I need to see you," she pleaded. Her words were slurring slightly, which suggested that she may have been drinking.

"No," I snapped. "What part of _we're done_ do you not get?"

"But, Darren, I miss you!" she whined. I rolled my eyes as I looked over at Chris and mouthed, "I need a minute." He shook his head and rolled his eyes, but gave me a dismissive wave, so I quickly slipped out the door so that we could talk more privately.

"Vanessa, I don't know how many times I'm going to have to say this!" I said as the door closed behind me. "We are over. Done. Kaput!"

"I made a mistake, Darren, honey," she sniffed, alerting me to the fact that she was crying. "I want you back."

"Well, I'm over you, Vanessa," I retorted. "I've moved on. And so should you. Move on to someone else like you always seemed to do when we were together."

She was quiet for a minute.

"Who is she?" she asked suddenly.

"What?" Her question caught me off guard.

"Who is she?" she repeated. "There's obviously someone else or else you would be back together with me by now."

"Has the idea ever crossed your mind that maybe I'm actually done with all of your crap?" I snapped. "And my personal life is _none_ of your business anymore."

"So there is someone else!" There was a hint of anger in her voice. "Who is she?!"

"Vanessa, what part of _none of your business_ don't you get?" I snapped again.

"I will find out who she is, whether you tell me or not!" she retorted.

"Stay out of my business!" I almost yelled into the phone as anger started to build inside of me. "And stop calling me! I'm done listening to you whine about getting back together because it's _never_ going to happen! I'm done with this and I'm done with you! _Goodbye_, Vanessa!"

Without another word, I ended the call, sliding my phone back into my pocket before turning and heading back to the room. I slid the key into the lock and slipped back into the room.

"Ok, Chris, let's get Kaley- Chris?" I stopped in front of the beds to find Chris curled up beside Leah, fast asleep.

"Chris, wake up," I called out softly, moving around to the other side of the bed and gently shaking his shoulder. "Chris, come on! I need your help."

He didn't respond. I tried nudging him again, but all that did was make him groan and roll over. With a sigh, I went back over to my own bed where Kaley was still lying, fast asleep.

I smiled as I watched her sleep. She looked so relaxed and peaceful.

After a couple minutes of just watching her, I carefully scooped her up into my arms to move her further up the bed. I gently laid her down so that her head was now resting on a pillow.

A few pieces of hair had fallen across her face when I moved her, so I slowly crouched down and moved the loose strands away from her face, tucking them securely behind her ear. Instead of immediately moving my hand away, I traced the side of her face, admiring how beautiful she was. She smiled at my touch, exhaling a happy sigh.

"Darren," she whispered, making my heart flutter. She was still asleep, so that meant that she was dreaming about me. The thought made me smile.

I stayed there for a couple more minutes, content watching her sleep, before I finally stood back up and moved around to the other side of the bed. It was too hot to sleep comfortably with my shirt on, so I slowly unbuttoned it and tossed it on a nearby chair before crawling onto the bed beside her.

"Goodnight, Kaley," I whispered, leaning over her slightly and placing a light kiss on her forehead. "And sweet dreams."


	31. Chapter 31: Spotlight

_How often do I say that I have the best followers in the world? Obviously not enough! Seriously, you guys are amazing! I love reading all of your reviews on the new chapters! Thank you **Guest**, **iluvklainebows**, **Ilikemutemath**, & **GleekStarKid**. You are all seriously amazing!  
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_Ok, I'm not going to ramble on forever this time. I'm just going to let you get right to it. If you guys do have any extra comments or questions, don't be afraid to send me a PM. I love connecting with you guys :)  
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_Now, without further ado, please enjoy this new chapter. Don't forget to leave me a review of what you thought :)_

* * *

Chapter 31 - Spotlight

**Darren's POV**

"So that's what happened last night," I said as I finished my recounting of the previous night, leaving out some of the more personal thoughts and interactions. The girls were both silent, still trying to process everything that I had just told them.

I watched Kaley's brows knit in thought as her mind went over my words. I watched her intently, hoping for some sign that she remembered something from last night, but at the same time, I dreaded that she would. What if she didn't feel the same way about me? How would she react?

I waited patiently for her to say something, but it was actually Leah who spoke first.

"Thank you," she said softly. "For standing up for me against James. Who knows what could have happened if you guys weren't there."

"We'll always be there for you," Chris smiled, placing his hand over hers and giving it a light squeeze. "That's what friends do." Leah gave him a heartwarming smile in return as she placed her other hand over top of his.

"Then I'm glad that I have such great friends like you," she said, not taking her eyes off of Chris. Her eyes seemed to light up when she looked at him and I found myself looking back at Kaley, hoping to see the same thing when she looked at me.

But I didn't. Instead, when Kaley looked up, her eyes were wild with panic.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed softly, quickly pulling her phone out of her pocket.

"What's wrong?" I asked, gently touching her shoulder to draw her attention to me.

"You said you heard a '_click_', right?" she demanded, only briefly looking up from her phone.

"Umm, yeah..." I replied, not sure why she was so concerned about it. "Why?" She looked back down at her phone and let out an unhappy sigh.

"That's why," she said, passing me her phone. I took it and looked at the small screen.

It was open to a celebrity news type website and on the top of the page there was a large, dark picture of the four of us heading into the hotel. Underneath the picture was a caption that read: _Goodbye Vanessa, Hello New Girl!_

"Oh no," I groaned, showing the screen to Chris and Leah.

"What does the article say?" Chris asked.

"I'm not sure if I really want to know," Kaley mumbled, burying her face in her hands.

"I do," Leah stated. Kaley looked up and shot her a small glare.

"Oh, come on!" Leah exclaimed. "You can't tell me that you aren't curious!"

"Fine!" Kaley huffed, turning back to look at me. "What does it say?"

I looked back down at the screen and, taking a deep breath, I started to read.

"_Darren Criss, though having recently broken up with long time girlfriend, Vanessa Peterson, was seen out partying last night with an unknown female, along with best friend and co-star, Chris Colfer. The two _Glee_ stars were caught entering their hotel building late last night, each with their own lady on their arms, neither of whom we have been able to recognize. _

_When questioned about this incident, Peterson, Criss' ex of one week, claimed that she "had known that he had been cheating on [her] for a while ", which was one of the main reasons why they had broken up, but that she "could never figure out who the other girl was". _

_Is this the girl that broke the two apart? Or is she a new girl completely? What has happened to the beloved man that we all thought we knew? There's only one thing that we know for sure: all of America will be dying to know 'Who is Darren's New Girl?'_"

As I finished reading the article, the first thing that I wanted to do was chuck the phone out the window. But, since it was Kaley's phone and not mine, I carefully set it down on the bed beside me.

"Well, that's just great!" I huffed, running my fingers through my hair. "Not only will everyone think that I cheated on Vanessa, but now they'll also think that I'm sleeping with someone that I'm not!"

"You think you've got it bad?!" Kaley exclaimed suddenly. I turned to look at her and was surprised to find her glaring at me.

"You're still _America's favourite break out star_," she snapped. "I, however, am going to be seen as '_the girl who broke you and Vanessa up_'. I'm the little _seductress_ who stole you away from her, even though it's not true. But the truth doesn't matter to people. What people love is gossip, and now I'm going to be in the center of it all!" Tears were starting to trickle down her face, which she quickly tried to wipe away.

"Kaley, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" I tried to comfort her, reaching out to give her a hug.

"_Don't touch me_!" she snapped, pushing me away before quickly dashing into the bathroom and locking the door behind her.

"I'll go talk to her," Leah said softly, getting up and going over to the door. As she quietly spoke to Kaley through the door, I turned back to look at Chris.

"What do I do?" I sighed.

"Just give her a little bit of space," Chris replied softly. "It's a lot for anyone to process. She's never been in the spotlight, never been exposed to things like paparazzi or being in magazines. She's scared, Darren, and rightfully so."

"But we didn't do _anything_!" I argued. "I didn't sleep with her and she didn't break me and Vanessa up!"

"But that's not what the public's going to think," Chris sighed. "If people find out who she is..."

"Ok, I get it," I sighed, burying my face in my hands. "So what do I do?"

"We'll just have to try our best to keep her out of the spotlight," Chris said softly. "And keep people from finding out who she is." He motioned towards the phone still lying on the bed beside me. I carefully picked it up and looked at the article on the screen again. I sighed again, shaking my head as I exited out of the web page, and suddenly, I found myself staring at myself.

On Kaley's home screen, there was a picture of me. It was a picture from one of the photo shoots that I had done on a beach. I was slightly turned away so that my back was to the camera, some water and sand just visible in the background. I was shirtless and my head was tilted down slightly... almost like as if I was looking at something on the ground, or as if I was just lost in thought.

I found myself slightly entranced as I stared at the picture. A weird feeling started to bubble inside of me.

_I'm on her home screen,_ I realized with a smile. _Maybe she does have feelings for me too. _

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Kaley? It's me, Leah," her voice was muffled through the door.

"_Go away_!" I cried.

"Kales, I'm not leaving till you let me in," she stated firmly. With a sigh, I reluctantly got up and unlocked the door before returning to my vertical fetal-like position on top of the toliet. The lid creaked as I sat back down and brought my feet up to rest on the edge of the lid. I buried my face in my knees as the door opened and Leah slipped in.

"Kaley, it's going to be okay," she said softly, trying to comfort me. I felt her hand gently touch my back as she crouched down beside me.

"It's all just gossip," she continued. "You know it's not true, I know it's not true, the guys know it's not true. And anybody who knows you will know it's not true!"

"It's the people who don't know me that I'm worried about," I sniffed as I looked up at her. I could feel the tears streaming down my cheeks, but I didn't care enough to wipe them away. "They're all going to judge me without even knowing me! And you know I hate feeling like I'm being judged! I know that I act like I don't care sometimes, that it doesn't bother me, but it does! I'm sensitive, Leah! I can't take that kind of humiliation!"

"But is that any reason for you to snap at Darren?" Leah asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"No," I answered, hanging my head. "I guess I get kind of defensive and snappy when I'm scared. I'm sorry."

"Don't tell me that. Tell him that!" Leah said, grabbing my arm and pulling me to my feet. I let her lead me back out of the bathroom and back over to the boys. Darren looked up from something in his hands and smiled tentatively at me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"It's okay," he replied, standing up and pulling me into a hug. "I understand."

"I'm just so scared," I could feel the tears starting to roll down my cheeks again. "And I don't know what to do." Darren pulled away from me and looked me straight in the eyes.

"You won't be in this alone," he stated, his eyes full of honesty and determination. "We're in this with you, no matter what happens, okay? You don't have to do this alone. We're all in this together." A small giggle escaped my throat.

"What?" he asked, puzzled.

"_High School Musical_?" I giggled. "_We're all in this together_?" He rolled his eyes and shook his head at me, but he couldn't stop the smile that was sneaking onto his lips.

"Fine," he chuckled. "In the words of Zac Efron, yes, _we're all in this together_. We're here for you. _I'm here for you_." His fingers slowly laced through mine and I felt my heart start to swell.

"Thank you," I whispered as I went back into his embrace.

"Oh crap!" Leah suddenly exclaimed. "Kaley, what's today?"

"Umm, the twenty-eighth?" I replied after a moment's thought, breaking away from Darren to look at her. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Our rent is due today!" Leah exclaimed, quickly standing up. Unfortunately, she was still a little hungover, so she got a little lightheaded from her quick movements.

"Here, we'll help you get downstairs," Chris laughed, taking her arm to stabilize her. "Dare, do you want to call Steven and have him come get the girls?"

"But do you have to leave now?" he sounded disappointed.

"Unfortunately, yes," I nodded. "Mrs. Porter is the meanest and strictest landlady you could ever get. She expects payment by three or else we could risk losing our apartment. Which means," She let out an unhappy sigh. "That we have to leave now if we want to make it home in time to pay our rent."

"Alright," Darren sighed, pulling out his phone. "I'll call Steven." He turned away as he put the phone up to his ear, so I slowly made my way over to the window, gently pulling back the curtain to look outside.

The beautiful, sunny sky betrayed how I felt inside. I felt torn and scared and like I just wanted to go crawl up in a hole and stay there forever.

Streams of people hurried up and down the sidewalks below, all of them oblivious to my internal turmoil. Where were they going? Did they read that article? Were they going to judge me?

"They kind of look like ants down there, don't they?" Chris commented suddenly, coming to stand beside me. A small grin crossed his lips as he stared out the window with me.

"You don't have to worry about what people might think, Kaley," he said softly after a minute. "What they think doesn't matter. All that matters is what you think... And how you feel."

"I feel scared," I whispered, wrapping my arms around myself.

"That's not what I meant," Chris chuckled slightly. I looked up at him and he jerked his head to the side slightly. My eyes followed his lead, quickly falling on Darren.

"Darren?" I asked. "What does he have to do with this?"

"Everything," Chris smiled, turning his attention back out the window.

"What do you-" I started to say.

"You like him, don't you." He was stating it rather than asking it.

"Of course I do," I replied. "Darren is a great friend and I-"

"You know what I mean," Chris cut me off.

"He would never go for someone like me," I replied softly.

"You'll never know if you don't try," he stated.

"Where'd Leah go?" I asked, changing the subject as I turned back to face the room.

"Bathroom," Chris chuckled. "She had _A LOT_ to drink last night."

"Ok, Steven said that he would be here by the time we get downstairs," Darren announced, turning back to look at us as he slid his phone back into his pocket. "Are we all good to go?"

"We are now," Leah stated from the bathroom doorway.

"Alright, let's go!" He led us out of the room and down the hall to the elevator. Thankfully, no one else was in ours, so we had an uneventful trip down to the main floor. But once the doors opened, chaos broke loose.

We were suddenly blinded by multiple flashes of light and the ominous sound of clicks rang through the main foyer.

"_Close the door_!" Darren nearly yelled at Chris, who was standing closest to the buttons. He hurriedly punched the button but it was slow to respond, allowing a couple more flashes and clicks to echo into the small elevator.

Finally, the doors closed. My heart was pounding so loud that I thought that they would be able to hear it through the metal doors.

"Now what?" Leah was the first one to speak.

"Parking garage," Darren told Chris, who quickly punched the G button. As the elevator came to life again, I slowly detached my fingers from where they were clenched in Darren's shirt, which he had put on earlier when he was narrating the events of the previous night to keep me from blushing every time that I looked at him.

"Sorry," I mumbled, dropping my hands down to my sides.

"It's alright," he chuckled. "I don't mind."

The doors slowly opened as we hit the ground level and there, waiting patiently for us, was none other than Steven.

"I saw the crowd of camera-wielders outside and I figured that you would prefer it if I picked the girls up down here," he smiled, slightly nodding his head to us.

"Thank you, Steven," Darren smiled, pressing a hand to the small of my back to direct me out of the elevator. "That was very considerate of you."

"I don't envy you young folks," Steven commented as he led us over to the waiting limo and opened the door for us. "I personally never look good in pictures. I would never be able to handle people always taking photos of me and digging around in my personal life."

"I second that," I mumbled as I slid into the limo. I expected Leah to follow right behind me, but it was Darren who came in next.

"I figured that I should find out where you live so that we don't have a repeat of last night happen again," he smiled as he slid into the seat next to me.

"Oh, trust me, that's not going to happen again," I remarked. "I don't think I'm _ever_ going to drink _ever_ again."

"You never know," he laughed. "You said that you would never drink and then bam! Last night you were an alcoholic!"

"I am_ not _an alcoholic!" I snapped.

"Sorry!" he winced. "I was just kidding. Too soon?"

"You think?" I rolled my eyes at him as I slouched back in my seat. Leah and Chris soon joined us in the limo and shortly after we were pulling out of the garage.

I couldn't help the temptation to look out the window as we drove past the front of the hotel. There were swarms of photographers and journalists lined up outside the front doors. A couple were actually being shooed out of the doors, most likely the ones who had caught us off guard in the elevator.

_They need to up their security,_ I grumbled to myself, watching as some of them noticed our departing vehicle. They pointed their fingers, then their cameras in our direction, and I was immediately thankful for the dark, tinted windows. Nonetheless, I still found myself leaning back, away from the window.

"They can't see you, you know," Darren commented.

"I know," I replied, turning to look at him. "But it feels like they can... Darren they got pictures of us, and not just blurry, dark ones. They've got _real_ pictures, pictures that can identify me. And it probably didn't help much that I was clutching onto your shirt. My life is officially over!" I buried my face in my hands. It felt like the weight of the world had just been dropped on my shoulders.

"Kaley, you're overreacting!" Darren exclaimed. "I'll tweet something out on _Twitter_ about you guys just being our friends. The fans will, or at least should, believe me over what the magazines say. Okay?"

I slowly looked up at him and nodded, "Okay."

"Here, I'll do it now," he quickly pulled out his phone and started to punch in his message to his fans.

"There," he declared, turning the screen towards me. It read: _Don't believe everything that magazines say. I'm not with anyone & neither is Chris. We were just hanging out with our friends. Chill guys. _

"I hope that works," I sighed.

"It will," he smiled. "Trust me."

"I do," I gave him a tentative smile back.

"Here we are," Steven announced as the dark window separating us rolled down. I looked out the window and was surprised to find that we were already home. A part of me wished that we weren't. I didn't want to leave Darren's company yet.

"Bye, Leah," Chris waved as she got out.

"I'll talk to you later?" I asked as I started to scoot towards the door. "Text me?"

"Of course," Darren smiled as I got out. "But you may need this then." He put something in my hands and I suddenly found myself holding my phone.

"Thanks," I smiled, taking a step back from the limo, gently closing the door as I did so. Within seconds the window rolled down.

"Oh, and Kaley?" Darren called out the window as the limo started to roll away. "Nice home screen."


	32. Chapter 32: Don't You Want Me

_New chapter! First, I would just like to apologize for how whiny Kaley was in the last chapter. Please don't forget that she was still a bit hungover and her moods are up and down like a roller coaster. Everyone reacts to alcohol in different ways and this is how Kaley reacts. _

_Thank you to my amazing, amazing commenters: **kawaii01**, **iluvklainebows**, **Ilikemutemath**, & **GleekStarKid**. I seriously cannot get enough of your reactions :-p They're like a drug for me. As soon as I post a new chapter, I'm checking my mail every ten seconds to see if I have a new review yet haha :-p I seriously just love hearing what you guys think of my story. It just warms my heart that you all love it so much :) If you have any extra or personal comments or questions that you'd like to ask me, please don't be afraid to send me a PM. I love connecting with you guys and hearing your thoughts :)  
_

_Things I'd love to hear back from you guys are what you liked, what you didn't like, what your favourite part/lines are. And the big one. How do you think the **kiss** will happen? Yes, I said kiss. Get ready. The months of waiting have paid off. It's coming soon! :)  
_

_I won't hold you guys back any further, but I'd just think to send you my biggest thanks for all of your continual love and support of this story :)_

* * *

Chapter 32 ~ Don't You Want Me**  
**

**Kaley's POV**

It took Leah a full ten minutes to finally pull me away from the curb where I remained frozen in place, mouth gaping open and cheeks flushed. She finally got my feet moving by alerting me to the fact that we still had to go pay our rent. I allowed her to lead me into the building and up the stairs to our floor (the elevator was broken for the fifth time this month).

As soon as we entered our apartment, I sank down in a numb stupor on the couch as Leah scrambled around behind me, collecting our rent.

"Ok, I got it all," her voice came from behind me. I was still too stunned to turn around.

"Fine," she sighed. I could picture her shoulders slumping. "I'll go take it myself, I guess..." I listened to her cross the apartment. The door opened and then closed again with a resounding click, and I was left in silence, alone with my thoughts.

_He knows, _is all I can think. _He knows... and he practically laughed at me... He doesn't like me back..._ I buried my head in my hands. _He saw the picture, he knows that I like him, and he practically laughed at me! _To say that I was embarrassed would be an understatement. I was mortified.

"Kaley!" Leah's sharp voice made me look up, to which I was rewarded with a hard slap across the face.

"_Leah_!" I exclaimed, quickly cupping my hands to my stinging cheek.

"I had to snap you out of your funk," she shrugged, starting to walk away.

"Where are you going?" I demanded, still angry that she had slapped me.

"To make breakfast," she stated casually as she headed towards the kitchen. "I'm hungry. Do you want anything?"

"Two eggs, please," I sighed, standing up and following her to the kitchen. "I'll do the toast since mine is apparently '_exceptionally good_'."

"There's my Kaley," Leah smiled, opening the fridge and pulling out the carton of eggs. I was glad that she was happy, but I couldn't help the heavy feeling weighing down my heart and as I placed the bread slices in the toaster, I found my mind wandering to thoughts of Darren, wondering what he was thinking about now.

**Darren's POV**

I couldn't stop thinking about her. I found myself smiling as I pictured her reaction over and over again in my mind. How her jaw had dropped as we drove away. She had looked so cute just standing there in shock. I had watched her as we drove away, her silhouette quickly shrinking and finally disappearing as we rounded a corner heading back to the hotel.

We quickly arrived back at the hotel, going back down to the parking garage again as the hotel front was still occupied by reporters and photographers, who again pointed at our limo excitedly as we passed by and snapped pointless pictures of our tinted windows.

"Thanks, Steven," I smiled as I got out of the vehicle. "You can take the rest of the day off. We're just going to stay in, I think."

"If you're sure, Mister Criss? Mister Colfer?" he seemed reluctant to be dismissed so soon.

"Yes, thank you, Steven," Chris smiled at him through the rolled down window. "Go spend time with your family. Enjoy your afternoon. We'll be fine."

"Very well then," Steven nodded. "See you in the morning then. Good day, Mister Criss. Mister Colfer." We turned away and entered the elevator as he drove away, quickly arriving on our own floor. Chris claimed the bathroom as soon as we got back to our room, stating that he had to fix his hair, so I was left standing alone in the middle of our room.

_What to do..._ I wondered. My eyes suddenly caught on the black guitar case leaning up against the wall and I smiled as new lyrics suddenly flooded my mind. I quickly pulled out my notebook and jotted them down, reading over everything on the page once I had finished. I had started working on this song almost a week ago and now It was almost done.

I grabbed the case and quickly opened it, pulling out my deep blue, acoustic guitar. I sat down on the bed and sat the guitar comfortably on my knee, ready to strum it. But I stopped myself as I heard Chris' musical voice slip through the walls. He was singing _Titanium_. I couldn't help but stop and listen to him as he sang.

_I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose _

_Fire away, fire away _

_Ricochet, you take your aim _

_Fire away, fire away _

_You shoot me down, but I won't fall _

_I am titanium _

_You shoot me down, but I won't fall_

_I am titanium_

I smiled as he started to sing one of the verses, finally breaking myself from his spell.

_I don't want to disturb him,_I decided, getting up and strapping my guitar to my back. With my notebook in hand and guitar on my back, I quietly slipped out the door, in search of a quiet place to play.

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

"Should I change it?" I asked Leah. My phone was lying face up on the table, the picture of Darren illuminated on the screen.

"Why?" she laughed. "If he knows, he knows. There's nothing you can do to change that. And honestly? In my opinion, it's a way over due revelation."

"What do you mean?" I demanded. "I've known Darren personally for a week. _A week_, for crying out loud! Do you really go and confess all of your feelings to the person that you like after only a week of knowing them? I don't recall you spilling your feelings to Chris."

"That's because _you_ did it for me," she retorted, sending me a slight glare. I just rolled my eyes.

"Yes, but that's only cause I wanted to give you the best birthday present that you could ever get!" I exclaimed. "Besides, you loved it and it made you and Chris closer than ever before! Darren practically laughed at me because he's on my home screen. Yeah, that's totally shouting '_I love you_' now, isn't it."

"Kaley!" Leah laughed. "Chill! You're getting too worked up over this!"

"You didn't just have your heart basically squashed," I grumbled.

"Don't make me slap you again," she warned. "Because I will. And Kaley, you don't even know how he feels. You get defensive and bit- and very snarky when your nervous. Maybe he gets giggly when he's nervous. Just don't jump to conclusions, okay?"

"You're right," I sighed.

"I know," she smirked, to which I rolled my eyes again.

"Maybe I am overreacting," I slowly picked up my phone and looked at the screen again.

"You think?" I could hear the laughter in her voice.

"Oh shush, you!" I laughed, not able to stay upset. Leah's happiness was infectious.

"Why are you so perky?" I asked her, giving her a suspicious look. She gave me an innocent look as she shrugged in return, trying to act like she didn't know what I was talking about.

"Leah..." I added a warning tone to my voice, demanding that she told me what she was up to.

"Chris just told me that he got me a birthday present!" she squealed, unable to keep her secret any longer. "Well, technically he got both of us a birthday present, but still! And he won't tell me what it is!"

"A birthday present?" I echoed her words. "He never mentioned anything about getting us something."

"He said that he wasn't sure when it was going to come in, so he didn't want to say anything until it arrived, knowing that it would drive me, and him, crazy not knowing what it was." As if to prove her words, she proceeded to show me the text on her screen from Chris.

Chris: _Hey Leah, I've got an extra surprise birthday gift for you and Kaley. It just arrived, but I knew if I told you about it when I ordered it that it would drive you nuts (which in turn would drive me nuts), so ya! It just arrived and I cannot wait to see your reactions!_

"I wonder what it could be..." I said as I finished reading the text.

"I know, right?" Leah exclaimed, slightly upset. "He's right. It would have drove me nuts because it's already driving me nuts now!"

"Of course he waits to tell you until we're home where I'm the one who's going to be driven insane by you!" I teased, earning myself a glare from her.

"Excuse me while I go give Mister Secret-Pants a call," she said, standing up and walking away from the table as she put her phone to her ear. As she closed the door to her room behind her, I could hear her say, "Hi, _Chris_." I chuckled to myself as I started to collect our empty plates. Leah could be relentless with secrets. She hated having to wait for surprises.

After placing the dirty dishes in the sink, I decided to go to my own room and try my luck at writing something. I closed the door behind me so that Leah couldn't sneak up on me, before sitting down in the chair at my desk. I opened my computer and was immediately attacked with multiple alerts. I hadn't had time to come on my computer in the past little while, being so busy with the show, so I had missed all of the update alerts from some of the sites that I was subscribed to.

The first alert that i clicked on brought me to an article about Darren's break up.

_Already knew that,_ I chuckled to myself as I clicked on the next article. This one was from a fan website. It also talked about the break up and that fact that Darren was now single and available.

_Maybe not for long, _I smiled to myself, though I quickly pushed these thoughts away. _Stop it. You don't know how he feels about you._ I tried to ignore my thoughts as I clicked on the next alert. This one made my heart skip a beat. It was the article that I had read on my phone this morning. I didn't want to look at it again, already knowing what it said, so I hurriedly clicked on the next alert, instantly regretting it seconds later. What I saw almost made my heart stop completely.

Under a very bright and detailed picture of Darren, me, Chris, and Leah in the elevator was the caption: Glee_ stars caught in the act! Mystery girls finally revealed!_

I felt a groan escape my lips as I reluctantly continued reading the rest of the article.

_Saturday, June 28, 2012. 3:08pm_

_A breaking discovery was made in the Criss/Colfer girls mystery when the two _Glee_ stars were caught leaving their hotel with the two girls that they had enter the building with late last night. Inside sources were able to confirm that the two girls did spend the night in the stars' bedroom, not emerging again until after 2:30pm the following day. _

_Moments after leaving the hotel, Criss released a tweet stating that he is "not with anyone & neither is Chris. [They] were just hanging out with [their] friends." If hanging out with friends involve an overnighter in their bedroom, it is safe to say that every girl wants to be friends with Criss and Colfer now._

_One thing that we still don't know is who these mystery girls are. They've never been seen on the red carpet before and even Peterson (Criss' ex) did not recognize them. _

_"I've never seen them before in my life," says Peterson. "But I will soon."_

I stopped reading after that statement. What did she mean by "_I will soon"_? I felt sick to my stomach and couldn't bare to read anymore of the article, so I clicked on the last alert instead. And what I found did not make me feel any better. Instead, it made me feel ten times worse.

This website was Vanessa's personal fan site. The only reason that I had subscribed to it in the first place was to get updates on Darren. I mentally made a note to myself to remove my subscription from this page. But right now I couldn't do that. I was too stunned by all of the comments on the page in front of me.

Lily A.: _Whoever she is, she's fat and unpretty and totally not worthy of Darren!_

Brianna P.: _Did you see how she was clutching onto Darren's shirt? What a freak!_

Luke J.: _Vanessa is totally hotter than her! I can't believe Darren has sunk so low. She's totally unworthy of him!_

Mae C.: _She's totally wearing the same clothes from last night! What a slut!_

Kelly W.: _Oh my gosh! I totally know her! We went to high school together! Her name's Kaley Grant. The other girl is Leah Tanner. You're welcome! :) ps totally knew that she was a whore!_

When I read that comment, I finally broke down crying. I had been holding it in for as long as I could as I read over their hateful comments, but that was before they knew who I was. Now they did.

I pushed myself away from the computer and threw myself on my bed as I continued to cry. Sobs slipped from my lips as their words danced around in my head.

_Fat. Unpretty. Freak. Slut. Whore. _

_Unworthy._

* * *

**Darren's POV**

I finally found a quiet place to play. It was an empty banquet hall. The tables were pushed off to the sides and the chairs were all stacked up along the edges of the room. I gently strummed my guitar and smiled as the sound echoed through the room. The acoustics in this room were amazing!

I gently set my guitar down on one of the tables for a moment as I pulled a chair off of one of the stacks. Within seconds, I was sitting in the chair, gently strumming my guitar, with my notebook open on the table beside me.

Now that I was completely alone, new lyrics seemed to flow even easier, and I soon found myself with a finished song on the table. I looked over the words a couple more times before I finally worked up the courage to actually try to sing the song. The words were all so personal and meaningful to me that I was afraid to sing them, afraid to admit them.

But I finally did begin to sing it, gently strumming my guitar as the words began to slip from my lips. I didn't need to look at my notebook. I already knew the words by heart.

_Say, wasn't that a funny day? _

_Gee, you had a funny way, a way about you _

_A kind of glow of something new_

_Sure, I'll admit that I'm the same_

_Another sucker for a game kids like to play _

_And the rules they like to use_

_Don't you want the way I feel? _

_Don't you want the way I feel? _

_Don't you want the way I feel for you?_

_The sun telling me the night is done _

_Well I refuse to let it stop our fun_

_Close your eyes, we'll make it dark again _

_And kiss, there's a thought so how 'bout this? _

_Let's pretend that both our lips are made of candy_

_After all, we need sweets every now and then_

_Don't you want the way I feel? _

_Don't you want the way I feel? _

_Don't you want the way I feel for you? _

_Here we are, two strangers in a very different place_

_Who knows what could happen to us next? _

_Here we are with nothing but this little spark _

_It's too cold outside to lay this fire to rest_

_Go? How so very apropos_

_A goodbye just as soon as I said hello _

_Well, alright, I'll see you later_

_It's true, it's just a fantasy for two_

_But what's the difference if it all could have been true? _

_I guess this is better_

_But don't you want the way I feel? _

_Don't you want the way I feel? _

_Don't you want the way I feel for you?_

_Oh, don't you want the way I feel? _

_Don't you want the way I feel? _

_Don't you want the way I feel for you?_

_Don't you want the way that I feel for you?_

"I knew it!" His sudden voice made me jump. I looked up to find a very smug-looking Chris and a very giddy-looking Lea standing in the doorway.

"That was for Kaley, wasn't it," he wasn't really asking it, already being fairly sure of the answer.

"I-I-I," I stuttered, at a loss for words.

"I'm right, aren't I." There was that smug look again.

"You and Kaley!" Lea squealed. "You guys would _totally_ make a cute couple!"

"I know, right?" Chris exclaimed. "That's what I've been saying!"

"Guys!" I had to raise my voice to be heard.

"What?" Chris asked, slightly iritated. "We were eeking over your and Kaley's new relationship!"

"A non-existant relationship!" I huffed.

"Not once you sing her that song!" Chris smirked.

"I'm not singing it to her!" I exclaimed, leaving my two friends in shock.

"What do you mean you're not singing to her?!" Chris demanded. "Are you daft?"

"Kaley _totally_ likes you!" Lea argued. "Why won't you just man up and tell her that you like her too!"

"Because I'm scared!" I blurted suddenly, shutting them both up.

"Scared?" Chris echoed the word back to me, confused. "How are you scared?"

"I'm scared that she'll reject me," I admitted. They both gave me a disbelieving look that said, "Are you kidding? You're Darren _freaking_ Criss. Any girl would be foolish to reject you!"

"Are you _seriously _that blind?!" Chris exclaimed. "You two have been flirting relentlessly all week! Everyone has noticed! Heck, even _Ryan_ has noticed! Just tell her how you feel already!"

"...Okay, I'll do it," I sighed after a minute.

"Finally!" Chris exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

"Here, do you want to use my phone?" Lea offered, holding out her phone to me.

"Now?" I sputtered.

"There's no time like the present!" she smiled. With a sigh, I reluctantly took the phone. I slowly punched in her number, which I had memorized by now, and held the phone up to my ear. I was shaking inside and I could feel my stomach churn as I waited for her to pick up.

One ring. Two rings. Three rings. Still no answer. Finally, after the fifth ring, there was a click and a familiar voice flooded through my ear.

"Hey, this is Kaley. Sorry I can't come to the phone right now, but if you leave your name and number and a short message, I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Wait for the beep!"

"Hey, Kaley, it's Darren," I started to say after the beep echoed in my ear. "I, umm, I was wondering if you, maybe, wanted to, umm, grab a coffee or something tomorrow morning... oh wait, you don't drink coffee... umm... tea! You like tea, right? We could get some tea or if you want something else we could get that... oh crap, I'm rambling! Ummm, so yeah, tomorrow morning... I, uh, kinda have something that I want to, uh, talk to you about... umm, so yeah, I guess I'll see you tomorrow? Ok, bye." I hit end call, my hands slightly shaking. When I looked back at my friends, I found them staring at me with amused expressions.

"What?" I asked.

"You really are scared, aren't you!" Chris laughed. "You, Darren Criss, are _scared _to tell a girl that you like her!" I felt my cheeks flush with unwanted heat.

"Oh, Chris, stop it!" Lea laughed, playfully slapping his arm. "You're making him blush!"

"Here," I handed Lea back her phone as I stood up and started to collect my stuff.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Away from you two," I retorted as I started to walk away. "Before you mortify me further!"

"Oh, come on!" Chris exclaimed, grabbing my arm to stop me. "We were just teasing!"

"Please don't go," Lea pleaded, grabbing my other arm. "Please come back and sit down. Tell us more about Kaley."

"But you both already know her," I replied.

"But not as well as you do," she argued. "I want to know why you like her so much, why you're so nervous to tell her your feelings. I've never seen you like this before."

"Alright," I sighed. "But not here. Let's go back to our room. We don't know who could be listening here." They both agreed and followed me out of the room and back to our own. Once we were settled on the beds, me on mine and Lea and Chris on his, they started bantering me with questions.

"So, when did you know that you liked her?" Lea asked, her eyes wide and eager as she watched for my reaction. I smiled as I thought about the moment.

"It was actually at the bar," I admitted. "When I heard her singing. It just all clicked into place, I guess. I realized that she was the one that I was looking for, not some mystery singer. I was just using that as an excuse to not admit to my feelings for Kaley."

"Awwww!" Lea and Chris cooed together. I rolled my eyes and shook my head at them.

"So, what makes her different?" Lea asked. Chris just sat back, allowing Lea to take the lead in question-asking since he already knew Kaley pretty well.

"Different?" I echoed back. "What do you mean?"

"What makes her different from other girls that you've liked?" she smiled. "Why are you so nervous to tell her how you feel, when you've never had trouble doing so before?"

"I guess it's because she really is different," I replied after a moment's thought. "I've never met anyone like her before. She's not like any girl I've ever dated before."

"It's because she's _Canadian_," I heard Chris whisper to Lea.

"No," I rolled my eyes at his comment. "That doesn't have anything to do with it... unless you connect it to why she's so sweet and polite... They say that Canadians are polite, right? I don't know. She just makes me feel so... giddy. I just like everything about her... her smile, her laugh, her eyes... she has beautiful eyes. Sometimes when the light hits them, they look golden, but then other times, they almost look green."

"Ok, it's official," Chris declared suddenly. "You, my friend, are head over heels for Kaley. You don't spend that much time staring at a girl's eyes unless you're falling hard for her... You really do like her, don't you."

"I do," I smiled.

"Well then," Chris smiled mischievously as he turned to look at Lea. "It looks like we've got a new mission."

"Mission?" I asked, but they just ignored me.

"Ready to play Cupid?" Chris asked her, to which she smiled and nodded. "Then it's time to put Operation _Get-Kaley-And-Darren-Together-Part-Two _into motion!"

_Cupid?_ I wasn't totally sure what they were going on about and it took a couple of seconds for all of their words to sink in, and when they did, I felt even more puzzled and confused than I did before.

_...Part two?_


	33. Chapter 33: It's My Life - Confessions

_Hey guys! Sorry it took me so long to update! I've been sick :( Which has made it hard to focus and write. If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed that my account was suspended. I guess I got a little too excited about tweeting out my story link to people and they suspended my account. I made an appeal to Twitter and they said that my suspension would be lifted within an hour or so. This was yesterday evening. When looking into the matter, I found that this has happened to other people and it could take anywhere from 24 hours to a week to get my account back up and running. So unfortunately, I am Twitterless for the next little while. If you need to talk to me, just send me a PM._

_I wanted to make a comment about the Glee episode tonight, but I will refrain from doing so, just in case some of you haven't seen it yet. Instead, all I will say is that I hope that you will enjoy this new chapter update and you can look forward to another chapter within the next day or so. My special gift to all of you :)  
_

_Thank you to my ever amazing commenters: **cassidycmr**, **BritGleek**, **Ilikemutemath**, **GleekStarKid**, **ScarletteDarkness**, **kawaii01**,_ **_LiesMiranda_**

_Thank you to my amazing new subscribers: **CrissYami**, **Liveforblueandredties**, **nomorecandles**, **starbolt7**, & **The Sparkly Blue Unicorn**.  
_

_Thank you to the amazing people who favourited this story: __**Liveforblueandredties**, **nomorecandles**, & **The Sparkly Blue Unicorn**._  


___I hope that you enjoy this new chapter. Please don't forget to leave me a review of what you thought of it and what you think is going to happen next! :)  
_

* * *

Chapter 33 ~ It's My Life/Confessions Part II

**Kaley's POV**

I slowly opened my eyes, wincing slightly as the light hit them. I instantly looked beside me and was relieved to find that I was in my own bed and I was alone... Well, relieved but also slightly disappointed. Though it had caused a lot of trouble, it had felt so good to cuddle up against Darren. A part of me wondered if it was all a dream, if I even had actually woken up in Darren's bed yesterday.

My eyes slowly drifted around my room until they fell on my laptop, which still sat open on my desk.

Did _that_ happen? The cruel words of people who didn't even know me? I reluctantly slid out of bed and went over to the computer, sliding into the black chair before it. I moved my finger over the pad to wake it up and within seconds, I was staring at Vanessa's fan site again. There were even more comments than before.

Lucy T.: _Why would Darren cheat on Vanessa with that? Ewww _

Dani B.: _I heard that she works for him. That must be a fun 'job' #slut_

Trina V.: _I pity the mother that gave birth to that!_

I hurriedly closed my laptop, already starting to feel the tears running down my cheeks. I pushed myself away from the computer, grabbed a change of clothes, and slipped out of my room, escaping to the bathroom before Leah could see me. It was a good thing that she didn't see me, because as I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I realized that she would instantly know that something was wrong. My eyes were bloodshot and puffy and there were tear streaks running down my cheeks.

_I should just tell her,_ I thought as I slipped into the shower. Its warmth made me feel a little bit better, and by the time that I got out, dried off, and dressed, my heart didn't feel as heavy as it did when I had first woken up.

When I looked in the mirror this time, the reflection didn't look as bad. I didn't look like a girl who had just been trashed over the Internet by people who didn't even know her. I tried a smile and was able to pull it off.

_Maybe I shouldn't tell her,_ I argued with myself. Telling her would just upset her and I didn't want to ruin her happiness. I could handle this alone. I didn't want to pull Leah any further into this than she already was. People weren't hating on her as badly as they were on me, or at least not to my knowledge... Oh no, what if Leah was crying in her room right now from hateful messages?

I quickly finished up in the bathroom and then slipped out into the hallway. I knocked on Leah's door and, when I heard nothing, I slowly pushed it open. Her room was empty. I breathed a slight sigh of relief. At least she wasn't curled up in bed crying.

_That's where I want to be,_ I couldn't help the thought from escaping my mind. _No! Stop it! You are stronger than this! You are stronger than them! _Holding my head up high, I turned around and headed to the kitchen, the next likely place that I'd find Leah.

"Morning, Kaley!" she smiled perkily when I walked in. So far, no sign that she knew anything.

"Sorry about last night," she continued, placing an omelette onto a plate and passing it to me.

"For what?" I asked, gratefully accepting the food. I quickly sat down at the table and hungrily inhaled the food. Since I had fallen asleep, I hadn't had anything to eat since around three yesterday when Leah and I had had our breakfast... which was really more of a lunch... a brunch.

"I kind of peaced out on you yesterday," she said, sitting down at the table with me. "Chris and I ended up talking for hours on the phone and by the time we finally hung up, I found you passed out on your bed, which I can't blame you for, considering everything that happened yesterday." I felt my eyes widen as I looked at her. Did she know about the hate comments? She didn't notice my stare, instead she just continued talking as if nothing was wrong.

"I still can't believe that I slept in the same bed as Chris Colfer," she rambled on. "If you had told me two weeks ago that I would share a bed with Chris and that you would share a bed with Darren, I would have laughed at you, and yet now here we are! The day after waking up in their beds! It's just crazy, right?" I didn't know if she actually expected a response, so I just nodded in reply.

"And if you're worried about the whole picture thing, I'm sure that it will blow over," she continued, taking a bite of her omelette. "Once people realize that nothing happened, things will die down and people will stop trying to figure out who we are."

_Oh, if you only knew, Leah, _I sighed inwardly. _If you only knew..._

"Shoot! Look at the time!" she exclaimed suddenly, looking down at her finger watch. "If we don't hurry, we're going to be late!"

"Oh crap! The clothes!" I suddenly realized. We hadn't washed the clothes the other night because we had gone out to the bar, and then yesterday, we had stayed home and I had passed out.

"Oh, no worries about that," Leah laughed, standing up and taking her plate to the sink. "I took care of them last night while you were sleeping. I didn't bother waking you cause I figured that you needed your rest. All we have to do is take them to the dressing rooms once we get there, which means that we need to get going now if we're going to be able to deliver them all in time."

"I'm sure that we could convince the guys into helping us," I said, scooping my last piece of omelette into my mouth. I stood up and gently placed the plate in the sink, quickly taking a mental note to do the dishes when I got home later.

"Ya, you would like that, wouldn't you," Leah teased. I just rolled my eyes at her.

"Oh, shush you!" I laughed, pushing her towards the door. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

**Darren's POV**

Kaley never called or texted me back yesterday, which worried me. She hadn't even sent me a text this morning.

_Did I do something wrong? _I wondered anxiously. _What if she's avoiding me? Maybe she doesn't want to go for coffee, maybe she doesn't like me, maybe-_

"Maybe you should stop worrying and relax," Chris laughed, and I felt my cheeks flush as I suddenly realized that I must have started saying my thoughts out loud.

"Everything's going to be fine," he said, giving me a gentle, comforting pat on the back. "I'm sure that Kaley just forgot to check her phone this morning. Seriously, you worry too much!"

"Maybe you're right..." I sighed.

"Maybe? No, I am right," Chris teased. "Trust me, I know what I'm talking about."

A small beep emitted from Chris' pocket.

"Oh, that must be Leah," he smiled, pulling out his phone. "I told her to text me when she got here... and yep, they're here." He looked up from his phone to smile at me. "Ready to tell Kaley how you feel?"

"I, uh, well, I," I sputtered.

"Come on, _Lover Boy_," Chris laughed, pushing me towards the laundry room. As I let him lead me there, my nerves started to get the better of me. My insides started to twist with anxiety. I had never felt this nervous before, not even when I performed onstage. Those nerves only grew as soon as Chris pushed me into the room.

"Morning!" Chris greeted cheerfully. Leah greeted him the same way, a smile beaming across her face. But Kaley was no where to be seen.

"Where's Kaley?" he asked, looking around the room.

"Oh, she's gone to take some costumes to the dressing rooms," Leah shrugged, turning back to the pile of clothes that she had been sorting before we had arrived. "She should be back soon."

"Who should be back soon?" Kaley's voice asked. We all turned around to see Kaley standing in the doorway, a slight smile on her lips.

"You," Leah laughed. "The boys were wondering where you were."

"Oh, that's sweet," she said, coming the rest of the way into the room.

"Actually, _Darren_ wanted to ask you something," Chris said, nudging me forward slightly.

"Oh?" She looked at me inquiringly. "And what's that?"

"I, umm, well, uhh, did you get my message?" I stuttered.

"Message?" she asked, giving me an odd look. "Oh sorry, did you text me? Sorry... I haven't really looked at my phone today..." Her voice got a little quiet and a sadness almost seemed to cross her face, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

"So," she said, the smile back on her face. "What was the message for?"

"Well, I was hoping that we could maybe... umm, go for coffee or something?" I asked, hopeful.

"You mean between shows?" she asked. "Umm, sure, yeah, that'd be fun." Her smile seemed almost a little forced. I wanted to ask if everything was okay, but Chris was tugging on my arm, pulling my attention away.

"We'd better get to hair and make up," he said, looking at his phone. "We don't want to be late or else Ryan will kill us."

"Alright," I sighed. The questions would have to wait for later.

"So, I'll see you later then?" I asked, turning back to Kaley.

"Sounds like a plan," she nodded.

"Alright, see you later!" I smiled, turning away to follow Chris out the door.

_Now off to see Zayna,_ I thought as I followed Chris down the hallway. _It's time to be Blaineified!_

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

Keeping myself occupied while Darren was onstage was actually harder than I thought it would be. Usually, I would occupy my time with going on my phone and surfing the web, but seeing as all of the hate directed towards me was online, I wanted to stay as far away from it as I could. And since I had no distraction, my mind kept wandering back to what Darren had said in his voicemail (which I had finally found time to listened to).

"_I, uh, kinda have something that I want to, uh, talk to you about..._" His words played over and over again in my mind. What did he want to talk about? And why did he sound so nervous?

_Oh no!_ I gasped inwardly. _What if he saw the comments? What if he agrees with them?_ I felt like I was going to be sick.

"Kaley?" Leah's voice broke through my thoughts and I opened my eyes (which I hadn't realized I had shut) to look at her. She had a concerned look on her face, her brows knit in worry. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, forcing a smile on my face. "I think that I'm just still a little tired." She didn't look convinced.

"Really, I'm fine, Leah!" I forced a laugh out, trying to make it sound as real as I could.

"Kaley to Stage Right, please!" a voice suddenly called over the speaker system.

"Opps, gotta go!" I exclaimed, quickly turning and dashing out the door before Leah could question me further. As much as I hated lying to her, I didn't want to drag her into my problems, not when she was so happy with Chris.

I quickly made my way to Stage Right, where I found Vicky waiting for me.

"Hey, you called for me?" I whispered, trying to be as quiet as I could since the show was going on. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Darren dancing around on stage, singing _Last Friday Night_. The sight of him in his very flamboyant Blaine outfit made the corners of my mouth lift into a smile.

"Yes, I need you to change the batteries on Darren's and Chris' mics when they come off stage," Vicky replied, just as quiet, as she handed me a package of new batteries. "I thought I told James to put new batteries in them, but maybe I didn't or maybe they were just bad batteries. Either way, they both need a new set. Can you handle that?"

I quickly nodded, though inside I felt cold. She had asked _James_ to change their batteries? Why did I have a feeling that he never did? Was he trying to sabotage them?

I didn't have time to consider this theory further as the song had ended and Darren and Chris were coming towards me.

"Turn around and lift up your shirts," I ordered, quickly opening the package in my hands.

"Ooo, wanky!" Naya commented as she passed by.

"Naya!" I exclaimed quietly.

"Naya?" she laughed. "Who's Naya? I'm Santana!" She gave me a playful wink and then, with a toss of her dark brown high-pony, she turned and walked away. I rolled my eyes at her back and silently laughed. Santana had never been one of my favourite characters on _Glee_, but Naya was nothing like the character that she played. She was actually a really sweet and fun girl.

"Kaley, can you hurry please?" Chris drew my attention back to them. "I really don't want to have to hold my shirt up longer than I have to... I hate exposing my tummy."

"Oh, sorry guys," I laughed, returning my attention on my task. I quickly unhooked Chris' mic pack from his belt, replaced its batteries, and then carefully secured it back on the belt again.

"Thanks," he smiled as he started to walk away, most likely to change for the next number.

Then I turned to Darren. He was waiting patiently with the back of his shirt held up, exposing his lightly sweat-covered back. I felt a sudden urge to run my hand up and down his back, but I resisted, trying to focus my attention on what I was supposed to be doing.

I carefully took his mic pack off of his belt, trying hard not to touch his back, and changed its batteries. But when I went to put the mic pack back on the belt, my hand gently brushed against his back, sending shivers of excitement down my body. And in the quick couple of seconds that our skin was touching, I felt him shiver too.

_Did he feel it too? _I wondered, pausing for a second.

"Everything okay?" he whispered, looking back over his shoulder.

"Oh, umm, yep!" I replied, quickly securing the mic pack before stepping away. I could already feel the blush rising to my cheeks. "Gotta go, see you later!" I quickly turned and dashed away before he could see how red my cheeks were.

I raced back through the halls, almost running into Harry and Jenna in my hurry.

"Sorry," I apologized, stopping before them. I hadn't had a chance to really talk to either of them very much in the week that we'd been here and they were among the group of cast members who hadn't come to the bar with us the other night.

Harry was taller than I thought he was and he towered over me, staring down at me with his soft brown eyes. His black hair, though short, was spiked up, which made him seem even taller. Jenna, though shorter than Harry, shared the same colour eyes as him. Light brown, almost caramely, streaks highlighted her beautiful, dark, wavy hair.

"Careful there," Harry just laughed. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Oh, you know," I smiled. "Just to do typical stagehand stuff."

"You're Kaley, right?" Jenna asked.

"Umm, ya?" I replied. Oh no, had she seen the comments?

"It's nice to finally actually get to meet you!" she smiled, extending a hand to me, which I took and shook. "Lea and Chris won't stop talking about how great of a voice you have, and don't even get me started on Darren! He _never_ stops talking about yo-" She was suddenly silenced as Harry clamped his hand down over her mouth.

"Alright, I think she gets it," he laughed. "Sorry about that."

"All performers for _We Are Young_ to the stage now," a voice suddenly called over the speaker system.

"Opps, looks like we've gotta go," Harry said, smiling apologetically at me. "We should hang out sometime. I think Jenna can agree with me that we'd love to hear you sing sometime."

The next thing I knew, Harry was turning away, pulling a still silenced Jenna along with him. I turned away as well and continued back on my original path back to the laundry room.

When I walked in the room, the first thing that I noticed was that Leah was gone.

_That's odd, _I thought. _I wonder where she went..._ A yawn suddenly slipped from my lips and I realized that I really was tired. _Maybe I just lay down for a couple of minutes._ I carefully climbed up onto an empty table and curled up into a little ball.

_Just for a couple minutes..._

* * *

**Darren's POV**

"Thanks for coming out today!" I yelled out to the loudly cheering crowd. I took one final bow before running off stage.

"_I love you, Darren!_" I heard a fan scream as I left the stage. I let out a deep breath and smiled, happy to have completed another perfect show.

"Darren, may I see you for a moment?" I heard Ryan say. I turned around to find him standing behind me, a young blonde standing beside him.

"Darren, this is Julie," he said, gesturing to the girl. She looked up and smiled, her bright, blue eyes twinkling shyly at me. "She's one of the new dancers that we've hired for this week. Would you mind going over the dance moves with her for _It's Not Unusual_? She's also in the _Dinosaur_ number, but I had Heather go over that with her this morning. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to practice your number earlier, so she wasn't able to be in the first show, but I'm hoping that you can teach her everything for it so that she can join you for the second show."

"Umm, well, I actually had-" I was cut off by a stern look by Ryan. Apparently, I didn't really have a choice in the matter.

"Yeah, no problem," I sighed. "Just give me a second though, okay? I'll be right back."

I didn't bother waiting for his answer, I just left. Luckily, I quickly spotted Chris just out in the hallway.

"Chris, have you seen Kaley?" I asked.

"No, I thought that you two were going for coffee so that you could tell her how you _truly feel_!" He was teasing me, but I didn't have time for that.

"I can't," I sighed, wanting very badly to run my fingers through my hair. "Ryan practically ordered me to help teach a dance to one of the new dancers, so I won't be able to go. Look, I gotta get back before Ryan sends a search party out for me. Would you mind explaining my situation to Kaley and tell her that I'll make it up to her later?"

"Yeah, no problem," Chris nodded, shooing me away. "Go, before Ryan has a hissy fit."

"Thanks," I smiled as I turned away and headed back to the stage where the new girl, Julie, was waiting.

_Hopefully she's a quick leaner so that I'll maybe still be able to talk to Kaley before the next show, _I silently wished. I was determined to tell Kaley how I felt today.

_No matter what happens, I am telling her __**today.**_

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

"Kaley... Kaley..." I could hear someone calling my name, but I didn't want to open my eyes.

"Wake up, Kaley," the voice persisted. I reluctantly opened my eyes as a small yawn slipped from my lips.

"Hi, Chris," I greeted lazily. "Is the show done? Where's Darren?"

"That's why I'm here, honey," Chris sighed. "Darren can't go for coffee. Ryan's making him teach a new dancer the choreography for one of the numbers."

"... Well, that sucks," I sighed as well. "Any idea when they'll be done?"

"Nada," he shook his head.

"Hey Chris, Hey Kaley," Leah's voice suddenly greeted us. We both looked over to see Leah entering the room. "Ready for your coffee date with Darren?"

"We're not going," I sighed. "Darren's stuck teaching someone how to dance and by the time he finishes, there probably won't be enough time to go."

"Well, why don't you go grab some coffees and bring them back here for you guys to have once he's done?" Leah suggested. "Oh, sorry. I mean a coffee and a tea."

"Leah, you're a genius!" I exclaimed, hopping down off the table.

"I know," she smiled.

"I'll see you guys later," I said as I started to head for the door. "Oh, did you guys want anything?"

"Yeah, I'll have a- Ouch!" Chris was cut off as Leah elbowed him hard in the side. They exchanged quick glances with each other in some sort of silent battle, which Leah apparently won as Chris turned back to me.

"No, we're fine," he pouted, shooting another quick angry glare at Leah. "We'll see you when you get back."

"Okay," I laughed. "See ya later!" And with that, I walked out the door, quickly making my way down the hall and out the side door. I waved to Charlie, the security guard on duty, who politely waved back.

The _Starbucks_ actually wasn't that far away. It was only a block or so down the street, so it didn't take me long to get there. As I stood waiting in the line up, I suddenly realized that I didn't actually know what kind of coffee Darren drank. In the end, I decided to chance getting him what his character drank on the show, a medium drip, hoping that he actually liked it too.

_It's coffee, _I argued with myself. _I don't think he'll really care what kind it is... It's all the same to me anyways..._

"Hi, what can I get you?" the perky blonde behind the counter asked me.

_Someone's had too much coffee, _I inwardly chuckled before answering her.

"I'll have a medium drip and a green tea with honey, please," I told her with a smile.

"Alright, that will be-" I didn't wait for her to finish. I just handed her a twenty dollar bill and accepted the change that she gave me. I was starting to feel uncomfortable, like as if someone was watching me. I quickly moved off to the side to wait for my order, willing it to hurry up so that I could leave.

"Umm, excuse me," I felt a tap on my shoulder, so I turned towards the voice. Standing before me was a young girl, maybe about twelve or thirteen. She was looking up at me with shy brown eyes and was nervously twisting her dark brown hair between her fingers.

"Umm, hi," I said, not sure what else to say. "Did you need something?" I moved slightly to the side in case she was trying to get at the cream and sugar dispensers behind me. She didn't move.

"Are you Kaley?" she blurted suddenly, catching me off guard.

"I'm sorry?" I said, a little shocked and surprised by her question.

"Are you Kaley?" she repeated. "Kaley Grant. Darren Criss' new girlfriend."

"Darren's _girlfriend_?" I sputtered. "I'm sorry, but you must be mistaken. Darren doesn't have a girlfriend. We're just friends."

"So you are Kaley then?" she asked, getting a little excited.

"Please, don't say that so loudly!" I shushed. "Yes, my name is Kaley, but no, I am _not_ Darren's girlfriend. We are just friends."

"Medium drip and green tea with honey?" someone called out behind me. I turned around and accepted the drinks from the guy holding them, giving him a slight thanks before turning back to the girl before me.

"I'm sorry, I've gotta go," I said, moving to pass her.

"Is that for Darren?" she asked, pointing at the coffee. "Blaine drinks medium drips. Does Darren drink them too?"

"I'm sorry, I've really got to go," I repeated, this time passing by her. I did not stop again when she made another comment. I just kept walking.

I hated to be rude like that, but I also hated being questioned about my personal life. She didn't need to know everything that I was doing. No one did.

"_Kaley Grant_!" a slightly familiar voice called out. I instinctively turned towards the voice and was shocked by who it was. Before me stood a tall, thin brunette. Her wavy. chocolate brown hair framed her scowling face and fell down over her sleek, black designer dress. Thin, six-inch heels elevated her even higher so that she towered over me. Thick, black sunglasses covered her eyes.

It was _Vanessa_.


	34. Chapter 34: The Boy Is Mine

_Hey guys! Sorry I meant to have this up sooner, but it actually ended up taking me longer to write than I thought it would. And seeing as it is now the second longest chapter that I've written for this story, I think that you can understand why it took me so long :-p _

_Thank you to my new followers: **Obsessed31**, **Hai****rgelAndBowties**, & **Bambi McBarbie**. Welcome to the family! :D  
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_Thank you to the amazing **HairgelAndBowties** for favouriting this story!  
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_Thank you to all of my continually amazing commenters: **Liveforblueandredties**, **nomorecandles**, **LiesMiranda**, **kawaii01**, **iluvklainebows**, & **Ilikemutemath**. We just hit 100 reviews! That's amazing! You guys are amazing!  
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_Alright, I won't keep you from this chapter any longer. Please don't forget to tell me what your favourite parts/lines are! And stick around at the end for a special contest details! :)  
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_Enjoy! :)  
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* * *

Chapter 34 ~ The Boy Is Mine

**Kaley's POV**

"V-Vanessa?" I sputtered, silently cursing myself after for sounding like an idiot.

"Oh good, you do know who I am," she sneered with a light laugh. "So then maybe you might know why I'm here."

"If this is about Darren, I didn't-" I started to say.

"Didn't what? Sleep with him?" she laughed, cutting me off. "Oh, no, I would never think that Darren would ever stoop _that_ low. But I bet you wanted to, didn't you? You wanted to get your grubby little hands all over _my _boyfriend."

"N-No, I d-didn't," I stuttered. Vanessa was freaking intimidating. "A-And he's n-not your b-bo-"

"He's not my w-what?" she asked, mocking me. I felt heat flush my cheeks and wanted nothing more than to run away and hide from this woman.

I could imagine Leah saying something snappy back to Vanessa right now, defending me, but alas, I was alone and too scared to stand up for myself.

"You know, I really don't understand how Darren could leave someone like me to be with someone like you," she continued. "I was so confused when he didn't come _crawling_ back to me like he usually does... but then I saw the pictures and put two and two together..." She slowly pulled down her sunglasses and looked me up and down, sizing me up. Her eyes were a sharp dark brown, so dark that they almost looked black.

_How fitting, _I thought. _Her eyes match her heart. Both are cold and black._ Though I thought these things, I didn't dare say them out loud. I was too afraid of what Vanessa might do.

"Really, I can't even imagine why Darren chose _you_," she scoffed, setting her sunglasses on top of her head. "You're so plain and boring. There's nothing _special_ or _exciting_ about you. You're not even pretty." A smirk crossed her lips. "I didn't realize that Darren had such _poor_ taste."

I don't know how it happened, but something suddenly snapped in me and I suddenly stood up taller and looked her dead in the eye.

"I would think that his taste has improved, considering the fact that he's finally moved on from you," I remarked with a little bit of attitude in my voice. "Heck, I think that being with _anyone_ is an improvement from being with you!" The smirk faded from her lips and was replaced by a scowl.

"You think that you're better than _me_?" she growled, a bitter laugh slipping from her throat. "Please. Darren and I may not be together right now, but he _will_ come back to me. He _always_ does. So whatever you think is going to happen between you and Darren, well, it's not going to last. You don't _deserve_ him. _I do_."

"_You_ don't get to decide what Darren will or will not do," I snapped. "He _broke up_ with you. Because _you_ _cheated_ on _him_. He's not getting back together with you. Get over it."

"We'll see about that," she smirked, looking at something over my shoulder. "Oh good. There they are. Just in time."

I furrowed my brows questioningly as I started to turn around to see what she was looking at, but I was suddenly stopped as she roughly grabbed my shoulder and spun me back towards her.

"Hey! What-" I was cut off suddenly as something hard hit my cheek, knocking my head to the side slightly. Pain suddenly flared through my cheek and I winced, wanting to cup my hand protectively over the stinging cheek, but I couldn't as I was still holding the two _Starbucks_ cups in my hands. I felt a couple of tears slip from my eyes as I turned back to look at Vanessa, venomous words ready to spit from my mouth.

"What the he-" I started to say, but was cut off again as Vanessa started screaming at me.

"You little _slut_!" she screamed, pointing at me. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from _my_ boyfriend! We finally got back together again and then _you_ just had to worm your way back in and seduce him away again!"

They were all lies, which we both knew, so why was she acting like they were true?

Then I noticed the ominous clicks and the subtle flashes. _Paparazzi_.

_It's just a show, _I realized, looking back at her with horror. _It's all just an act, an act for the media. _

I wanted to defend myself, say that she was lying, but I couldn't. I think that I was in too much shock to even speak.

"Just stay away from him!" Vanessa continued to yell at me. "Stay away from him and stay away from me!"

Somehow I managed to find my voice again and I suddenly blurted, "She's lying! Darren left her because she cheated on him and he is _never_ going to get back together with her!" The words were directed more so at the people watching us, but my eyes never left hers, which were now filling with rage. "She's _not_ his girlfriend... But neither am I! Darren is _not_ dating anyone right now!"

I didn't really want to be screamed at again, so I turned to leave, but I was stopped again mid-turn, and this time her grip was on my arm and it was much tighter.

"I'm not done with you!" she started to say, yanking roughly on my arm to turn me back towards her.

The next couple of seconds seemed to move in slow motion. As she pulled on my arm, I felt the cup in my hand start to slip, making me instinctively lock my grip tighter around it. This caused the lid to pop off, and as my body was swung around towards Vanessa, the brown liquid in the cup suddenly went flying out of the cup... and landed all over Vanessa!

An ear-piercing scream filled the air as the scalding hot liquid hit her skin. I stood frozen in shock, my mouth hanging open and my eyes bulging as I watched her frantically try to wipe the coffee off of her face.

"_You!_" she screamed suddenly, pointing at me. "You did that _on purpose_!"

"N-No, I didn't!" I panicked, suddenly dropping the now empty coffee cup... and my still full green tea cup. The pale green liquid splashed out on the ground, hitting both of our legs.

"_Bugger_!" I cursed, wincing as the hot liquid soaked through my pant legs. I looked back up at Vanessa, who was still fretting over the wet spots on the bottom of her dress, her attention temporarily diverted from me, and made a sudden, rash decision. I turned and ran.

I ran away from that scene as fast as I could, but I wasn't fast enough to make it away before hearing, "You will pay for this, Kaley Grant! You will pay for this!"

I didn't stop running. I ran and ran, not sure where I was really going. It wasn't until I turned down onto my own street that I realized that I was running home.

_Home_. The one place you can go to feel safe. I quickly bolted inside and up the stairs to my apartment. Once inside, I locked the door behind me, just in case anyone had followed me, before collapsing into a heap on the floor, tears streaming down my cheeks. I was mortified. I don't think that I had ever done something so humiliating in all of my life.

_My life is now officially over,_ I realized, a heavy sob escaping from my throat. _Everyone is going to think that I did that on purpose, even though I didn't. And then they're going to think that I really did sleep with Darren and made him cheat on Vanessa..._ A couple more sobs slipped from my throat as I curled myself up into a little ball on the floor.

_My life is __**over**__._

* * *

**Darren's POV**

"There! I think you've got it now!" I smiled, watching Julie go through the routine for what seemed like the millionth time. I clapped my hands as she struck the final pose.

"Awesome!" I applauded. "Looks like you're all ready for the show! Now if you'll excuse me, I do believe that I've kept someone very special waiting long enough."

I could tell that she was reluctant to let me leave, which was probably why it had taken her almost two and a half hours to learn the choreography for this number though it had only taken her twenty minutes to learn the other one this morning, but I quickly slipped away before she could ask me to show her how to do any of the moves over again, quickly pulling out my phone to text Kaley.

Me: _Hey Kaley, I'm ready for that coffee now if you are :D_

I waited for a couple of minutes, but didn't get a response, so I tried calling her.

_Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring ring._

Still no response. Her answering machine suddenly kicked in, but I hung up instead of leaving a message.

_Maybe her phone's on silent or something,_ I shrugged, quickly making my way to the laundry room.

"Hello!" I called out, poking my head into the room.

"Hey, Darren!" Chris smiled, looking up at me.

"How was your coffee date?" Leah asked, coming out from behind a row of clothing racks.

"What do you mean?" I asked, giving her a weird look. "We didn't get to go for coffee. I was stuck teaching the new girl how to dance to my song."

"But didn't Kaley bring you a coffee?" she asked, looking surprised. "She left over an hour ago to go get drinks for you guys. We just figured that she was with you when she didn't come back."

"No, she wasn't with me," I shook my head. "That's why I'm here. I was looking for her."

"That's odd..." Leah said, furrowing her brows in confusion. "Did you try texting her?"

"Yes," I nodded. "And I tried calling her too, but it went to voicemail."

"That's not like her..." Leah said quietly. "Maybe I'll try giving her a call..." She quickly pulled out her phone and punched in Kaley's number.

"Kaley?" She said into the phone after a minute, her voice a mixture of relief and anger. "Where are you? You never came back and Darren's here looking for you... Oh. Okay. What are you doing there? ...Oh, that sucks! Are you okay? ...Well, that's good. Are you coming back? Like I said, Darren's here looking for you-" She paused for a moment, listening. "... Is everything okay? You sound a bit off... You're sure? ...Okay, well you should really come. We're all here waiting for you... Okay? ...Alright, we'll see you soon then. Bye!" She quickly ended the call and slid her phone back into her pocket.

"So?" Chris asked, looking at her.

"She tripped and spilled the drinks all over herself," Leah laughed. "So she had to go home to change. And then I guess she ended up dozing off on the couch. She said that she'll be on her way back soon."

"That's good," I smiled. "I can't wait to talk to her."

"So you really are going to tell her then?" Chris smiled.

"Tell Kaley what?" Leah asked suspiciously, tilting her head to the side slightly.

"I think that we should just wait and let Kaley tell you," Chris replied, winking at her teasingly.

"Not fair!" she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Patience, honey," he laughed, taking her hand. "Come on, let's make ourselves scarce for when Kaley gets here. I think that Darren would like to talk to her _privately_." He gave me a wink as he pulled Leah unwillingly out of the room. I smile as I sat down in a nearby chair to wait. I could feel butterflies in my stomach. This was it. I was finally going to tell Kaley _exactly_ how I felt.

_And I only hope that she feels the same way too._

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

There was an irritating buzzing sound near my head. I tried to swat at the noise and I felt my hand connect with something hard. I could hear something skitter across the floor and hit the wall. I slowly opened my eyes and blearily looked in the direction I heard it go. There against the wall was a small, black object.

_My phone,_ I realized, rubbing my eyes as I slowly sat up. _It must have fallen out of my pocket when I... _

I closed my eyes again, trying to block out the memory. I rubbed my eyes again before glancing down at my watch. It read 5:47. I'd been asleep for almost two hours!

My phone sudden started to buzz again, so I quickly dove for it and brought it up to my ear.

"Hello?" my voice cracked into the phone.

"Kaley?" I heard Leah's voice answer. She sounded half relieved and half angry. "Where are you? You never came back and Darren's here looking for you."

"Oh, sorry," I replied, trying to let a light chuckle slip out. "I kinda... fell asleep on the couch. I'm at home right now."

"Oh. Okay." she said, sounding a little confused. "What are you doing there?"

"Oh, well I, uh, tripped and spilt the drinks all over me on my way back," I lied. "So I had to come home to change and I guess that I must have just passed out on the couch for a little while."

"Oh, that sucks!" she exclaimed, referring to my drink spillage. "Are you okay?"

"Ya, I'm fine," I laughed, the sound seeming fake to my ears. "Just a little damp, that's all."

"Well, that's good," I could hear the smile in her voice. "Are you coming back? Like I said, Darren's here looking for you-"

"I don't know," I cut her off. "I'm might just stay here and do some cleaning up..." I didn't really feel like going back out. I just wanted to stay hidden away from the world.

"... Is everything okay?" she asked softly. "You sound a bit off..."

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," I lied again. I was _not_ fine. "Nothing's wrong."

"You're sure?" she didn't sound convinced.

"Yeah, totally fine," I replied. "Everything's good."

"Okay, well then you should really come back," she persisted. "We're all here waiting for you."

I sighed. I really didn't feel like going back, but I also didn't want to worry Leah or make her think that anything was wrong.

"Okay," I finally said.

"Okay?" she sounded happy, which did lift my spirits a bit.

"Yeah," I nodded, temporarily forgetting that she couldn't see me. "I'll be there soon, okay?"

"Alright," she agreed. "We'll see you soon then. Bye!"

The line went dead, so I slowly closed my phone. I was about to slip it back into my pocket when it suddenly buzzed again. I flipped the phone back open and saw that it was from a _Twitter_ alert. I clicked on the app, and the site opened on the screen. And what I saw horrified me. In my mentions section, there was a tweet from Vanessa. It read:

_This is the slut Darren cheated on me with & who dumped coffee all over me today - KalesOfFun Let's show this freak who she's messing with!_

Within seconds of reading the tweet, I received twenty more, all from different people.

_ KalesOfFun YOU DUMPED COFFEE ON VANESSA? I'm going to hunt you down and kill you! How could you do that to her? Hasn't she suffered enough?_ - VPsNumberOneFan

_ KalesOfFun I can't believe that you did that to her! What is wrong with you? Were you dropped on your head as a child? Repeatedly? _- Ali5onLynn

_Wow, I didn't realize that Darren decided to cheat on a goddess with a psychopath! (aka KalesOfFun ) Poor V /3 _- VanessaIsAGoddess

_ KalesOfFun Why would Darren date a piece of filth like you? You're a pathetic loser. _- KelseyJacklynSmith

"Here we are, Miss," a voice suddenly said. I looked up from my phone and suddenly realized that I was at the theatre. Somehow, I had managed to get downstairs, hail a taxi, and direct the driver to take me to the RCMH, all while I was reading over the hateful tweets. I hurriedly wiped the tears from my eyes as I handed him some money and got out. I glanced down at my phone one last time before sliding it into my pocket, trying hard to push away thoughts of their cruel words. I wiped my eyes one last time before slipping into the building.

"Kaley! There you are!" Chris' voice immediately hit me as I walked into the building. "Darren's waiting for you in the laundry room."

"Um, thanks," I smiled, or tried to at least.

"Kaley, are you okay?" Leah asked, giving me a hard look. "Your eyes are all red..."

"Oh, it's just my contacts," I lied, rubbing my eyes again. "They're acting up again."

"Okay..." she didn't seem convinced, but I shrugged away her concern as I turned and headed down the hallway to the laundry room.

I suddenly felt nervous as I stopped in front of the door. Should I just walk in? Should I knock?

_No,_ I shook my head. _Just play it cool, act natural._ Taking a deep breath, I slowly pushed open the door and stepped into the room.

Darren was sitting in a chair, staring at his phone, but he immediately looked up when I walked in, a smile quickly growing across his face.

"Hey," he said, standing up and walking over to me. For a second it almost seemed like he was going to hug me, but then he stopped suddenly and scratched his head.

"I, umm... how are you?" he asked, fidgeting almost nervously. Why was he nervous?

"I'm alright," I tried a smile, which I seemed to pull off.

"So, I, umm, wanted to talk to you about something," he lowered his head slightly, avoiding my eyes.

"O-Okay," I replied, feeling more nervous. Why wouldn't he meet my eyes? Did I do something wrong? Did he hear about what had happened with Vanessa? Did he hate me for it? It was only an accident...

Instead of saying any of those questions, all I said was, "About what?"

"Well, I-" he started to say.

"All cast and crew members to the green room now, please," a voice through the speaker system suddenly interrupted. Darren let out what sounded like a deep, frustrated sigh.

"I guess it'll have to wait," he shrugged, giving me an apologetic look. "Can we talk after the show?"

"Umm, yeah, sure," I nodded.

"Alright, I'll see you after then, okay?" he said, starting to head towards the door.

"Okay," I nodded again, and then he was gone.

_What could he want to talk about?_ I wondered, the knot in my stomach tightening a little. My thoughts were interrupted by the sudden buzzing from my pocket. I closed my eyes, willing the vibrations to stop, knowing that they were just more alerts for more tweets. And more hateful words.

"Kaley?" Leah's voice made me open my eyes and look up. She was standing in the doorway, looking at me. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I lied, putting on a smile. "I think I might be getting a headache or something. But I'm fine. No worries."

My phone buzzed again, but I ignored it.

"Are you going to check that?" Leah asked, pointing to the bulge in my pocket.

"Nah, it's probably just my dad wanting to know when I'm coming home for a visit," I shrugged. I felt horrible for telling so many lies, but I didn't want to drag anyone else into my problems, not Darren, not Chris, and especially not Leah. Living in New York had always been her dream and I didn't want that to be ruined because of me and my problems.

_Maybe I should just move back home,_ I thought. _Get out of the spotlight and away from all of the prying eyes. And away from Vanessa. _

"Well, we don't have time for visits right now!" Leah exclaimed with a light laugh. "We've got a show to get ready for!"

"You're right," I smiled.

"Aren't I always?" she laughed.

"Yes, I guess you are," I laughed as well. And this time, it didn't feel as forced.

* * *

**Darren's POV**

"So, did you tell her yet?" Chris asked, coming up beside me as we walked out of the green room.

"No," I sighed, shaking my head. "I got called away before I could. But after the show, I'm going to. I swear I'm going to."

"Good for you," Chris smiled, throwing his arm around my shoulder and giving me a tight side hug. "I'm so proud of you! My little Darren is growing up!"

"Hey!" I exclaimed, pushing his arm away. "Who are you calling _little_? I'm older than you are!"

"But not taller," he smirked. "Face it, Darren. You're always going to be the little _hobbit_ of our family." I shot him a quick glare, pouting my lip slightly, but I couldn't stop the smile from slipping onto my lips. My height was something that Chris constantly teased me about, and I had gotten quite used to him, as well as the majority of the cast, calling me a _hobbit_.

"Hey, at least you're nickname isn't_ Frankenteen_," Chris commented with a light chuckle.

"And what's wrong with Frankenteen?" a familiar voice demanded from behind us. We both turned around and smiled at Cory.

"Nothing at all," I laughed, patting him on the back. "I just don't think that it would suit me very well." This made him laugh as well.

"Hey, Cory!" Lea's voice suddenly called out to him. "Could you come help me with this?" She held up her mic pack for him to see.

"O-Oh, yeah, sure," he smiled, quickly hurrying over to help her.

"What do you think?" Chris asked, staring at our two cast mates. "Don't you think that they'd make a cute couple?"

"Lea and Cory?" I said, slightly surprised. "Just because they play a couple on screen doesn't mean that they have to be a couple off screen."

"I know," he sighed. "But just look at them! I could totally see them together! And I'd be nice to see her happy with someone again..."

I took another look over at my two friends and noticed how gentle he was with her, and how her face just lit up when he talked to her.

"You know, I think that you may be on to something," I admitted. "They would make a cute couple. They would be what? Leary? Monchele?"

"Monchele," Chris repeated, tasting the word on his tongue. "I like it. _Monchele_. It sounds kind of french, doesn't it?"

"Ha, it does!" I laughed.

"Ten minutes to curtain!" someone suddenly called out.

"Opps, looks like we'd better go get into costume!" Chris said, starting to turn to head towards the dressing rooms. "Just think! Once this show is over, you're going to tell Kaley how you feel... and then you'll get married and have hundreds of cute little babies that can run around and call me Uncle Chris and then-"

"_Chris!_" I laughed, cutting him off. "I think that you might be getting a little bit ahead of yourself there! Besides, I don't even know if she shares the same feelings as me."

"Oh, she does," he just smiled. "Trust me, she does. I betcha wish that the show was already over, huh?"

I just rolled my eyes and laughed at him as I shoved him towards the dressing rooms. Though I wouldn't admit it, he was right. I couldn't wait for the show to be over so that I could see Kaley again and finally tell her how I felt.

_Unfortunately, it's not over yet,_ I sighed. _And now this is probably going to feel like the longest show ever!_

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

This felt like the longest show ever. I just wished that it would hurry up and end so that Darren could tell me whatever it was that he wanted to tell me, so that then I could go home and curl up in my bed and cry. My phone would not stop buzzing and I couldn't figure out how to turn the alert off. And I couldn't ask Leah for help, because then she would ask why and then she would see the messages, and I couldn't let that happen.

"Seriously, are you going to check that?" Leah asked as my phone buzzed again.

"Yeah, later," I replied, avoiding her eye contact as I watched the TV screen. They had set up a small TV for us backstage so that we could watch the show and know what song they were on. Right now, they were just finishing off _True Colours_. Only two more songs till they were done.

"Okay, _seriously_, Kaley!" Leah exclaimed as my phone buzzed yet again. "I think that someone is seriously trying to get ahold of you!"

"Fine!" I huffed, standing up and heading for the door, pulling my phone out as I walked.

"Where are you going?" Leah called out after me.

"To check my messages!" I snapped. "Since it's apparently such a big concern to you!"

I felt horrible for saying that the moment it slipped from my lips. What was happening to me? Why was I acting like this? But instead of going back and apologizing, I just continued walking, leaving Leah behind feeling shocked and confused.

I walked until I found a quiet, secluded corner to sit down in where I could look at my phone, which quickly lit up to my touch to reveal over a hundred new alerts.

I know that I shouldn't have clicked on them, but I couldn't help it. Once again, _Twitter_ filled the small screen, and the hateful tweets with it.

_ KalesOfFun Why can't you just leave Vanessa and Darren alone? They are meant to be together! Stop interfering! You don't deserve him! _- DarrenAndVanessaForever

_ KalesOfFun is a whore! _- LizzMcKay

_ KalesOfFun Back off! Leave Danessa alone! #backoffyouslut_ - DanessaIsForever

_What's fat and ugly and nobody likes? KalesOfFun_ - AllThatMattersIsMe

_ KalesOfFun Hey freakshow! Better watch your back cause I'm coming for you! _- DplusV4ever

_Who does KalesOfFun think she is? Stealing Darren away like that! That's just horrible! _- GleeFanatic03

_#personyouhatethemost KalesOfFun_ - ThisIsDebbiesWay

_#IHateKaleyGrant KalesOfFun_ - JulieMarcello

_ KalesOfFun Why don't you do the world a favour and just go jump off a bridge?_ - VeronicaPeterson

A sob escaped from my lips as the tears flowed down my cheeks. They all _hated_ me. They all hated me because of lies and rumours. Some people wanted me _dead_!

_I kind of wish I were right now,_ I thought bitterly.

"Kaley?" his voice was tentative, but it still surprised me. I quickly looked up at him, forgetting about the tears still rolling down my cheeks.

"D-Darren, w-what are you doing here?" I asked, stumbling over my words.

"The show ended," he replied, crouching down beside me. "Are you okay? Why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying!" I snapped suddenly, quickly standing. "Just leave me alone!" I started to move past him, but he wouldn't let me.

"Kaley, what's wrong?" he asked, grabbing my arm, trying to stop me. "What happened?"

"Nothing!" I snapped, trying to pull my arm out of his grasp, but to no avail. "Let me go!"

"No, not until you tell me what's bothering you," he persisted.

"It's nothing!" I growled. "Leave me alone!"

"Kaley, what's gotten into you?" he asked softly, letting go of my arm. "Is this about that article on the internet? Because I took care of that, remember?" He paused for a moment. "Are you really that upset about it?"

"No... yes... no..." I sighed. "It's not because of that."

"Then what is it?" He gently took my hand in his and gave it a light squeeze. "You can tell me, Kaley."

"Vanessa." Her name quietly slipped out, making him stiffen suddenly.

"What did she do?" he asked, trying to control the anger in his voice.

"Nothing!" I said, pulling my hand out of his and turning away. "It was nothing."

"Kaley," he grabbed my shoulders and forced me to look at him. "What did she do?"

"What didn't she do," I mumbled, trying to stop the tears that were pricking at my eyes again. "But I'm sure that you'll read _all_ about it tomorrow."

"What do you mean?" he asked, staring at me intensely. I couldn't stand to look at him, so my eyes ended up trickling down to the phone in my hands. The screen was still filled with all of the _Twitter_ hate mail that I had gotten. Tears started to slip from my eyes as I thought about all of their hateful words.

Within the blink of an eye, my phone was gone from my hands, having been snatched away by Darren.

"Give it back!" I begged, my voice cracking slightly, as I tried to reach for the phone. Darren put his hand out, holding me back, as he stared at the screen and scrolled through the tweets.

"Vanessa started this?" he asked, his voice quiet and cold, as he looked back up at me.

"They're right, you know," I replied softly, not answering his question. "I'm not good enough for you."

"What are you talking about?!" he exclaimed, slightly outraged. "How can you even say that!"

"I'm not pretty," I stated, starting to list the things that everyone was saying about me. "I'm no supermodel, that's for sure. Why would someone like you ever be interested in someone like me?"

"Do you really think that I care whether or not you're a supermodel?" he demanded. "Why would you think that you'd have to be a supermodel for me to be interested in you?"

"Well you did date one for two years..." I pointed out.

"And those are two years that I regret!" he exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter anyways," I sighed, ignoring his comment. "I'm a nobody. You're a _somebody_. You're _Darren Criss_. This-" I gestured back and forth between us. "could never happen. I'm not your type."

"And who are you to tell me who my type is?" he snapped.

"Exactly!" I exclaimed. "Who am I? I'm _nobody_! You're _somebody_! You should be with another somebody, a person that the public will love, someone that will make you _America's Sweethearts_."

"I don't care about being _America's Sweethearts_!" he exclaimed. "It's just a label, something of which I've never given a crap about! Those were things that Vanessa cared about, not me!"

"Darren, you still deserve to be with someone better than me," I argued. "You have no reason to like me. I'm not pretty, I'm not famous, heck I'm not even likeable! It seems like half of the people on _Twitter_ hate me right now. Seriously, Darren, I'm not the kind of girl you should be with."

He started to say something, but I cut him off.

"Stop. Just don't," I sighed. "I'm nothing. I'm worthless. I'm not worthy enough to be with you. I'm not the kind of girl you would want to be with. I'm not-"

I was suddenly cut off, my words literally stolen from me, as he suddenly cupped my face and pressed his lips against mine. It shocked me at first and I tried to pull away, but he just pulled me back closer and pressed his lips harder against mine, but not too hard. I finally gave in, melting into him as he kissed me. His lips were so soft and sweet, and I soon found myself unable to break away from him. There was so much passion in his kiss that I didn't want it to ever end. I felt like I was floating on cloud nine.

When Darren finally did pull away, I found myself struggling to breathe. He literally took my breath away.

"Kaley," he whispered softly, touching his forehead to mine. "You are not nothing. You are _everything_. You are not worthless. You are _perfect_. And you are more than worthy." He paused for a second as he looked me straight in the eye. "Kaley, you are the _only_ one I want to be with. You and you alone."

I didn't know what to say. I was at a loss for words. So I did the only thing that I could do to show him how I felt.

I kissed him.

* * *

_**A/N:**  
_

_The kiss! The kiss! How many of you are freaking out right now? Was it how you pictured it? Did you like it? Was it worth the wait?_

_I think that it's about time that we start A CONTEST! Want to be featured in an upcoming chapter? Here's what you have to do. Create a tweet that you would send to Kaley in support of her and Darren's relationship. How would you cheer her up? How would you make her feel loved and supported? You can either post your tweet on here, OR you can actually send the tweet to Kaley herself! KalesOfFun You can also always send it to my Twitter account as well (which is now back up and running again) 11Cassaroo11 Whichever tweets I like the most will be included in an upcoming chapter! Don't have a Twitter account? Just make up a Twitter name (but check to make sure that it's not already in use) and I will use that. Can't wait to see what you guys have to say! :)_


	35. Chapter 35: A Little Less Conversation

_Yay! New chapter! Sorry it took me so long to update. For some reason I struggled to finish this chapter, afraid that it wouldn't live up to your expectations after the kiss, but I'm actually really happy with the final product :) And don't worry, there's still a lot more drama and cuteness to come! James is still lurking around, as well as Vanessa, and also there might be a special guest appearance coming up soon! :-p As well as the special twitter message chapter! If you haven't sent in a tweet yet, you still have time to do so! What would you say to Kaley to let her know that you supported her and Darren's relationship? Let her know KalesOfFun._**  
**

_Welcomes to all of my lovely new followers: **jennanderton78**, **lovebird588**, **SaveTheLastDance4Me**, **SingStar218**, **MissNatal**,** SaraMH**, and **MYSTICLEGENDWARRIORSROCK**. Please feel free to leave me a comment/review letting me know what you think of the story/chapters :)  
_

_Thank you to __**SingStar218**, **MissNatal**, and **MYSTICLEGENDWARRIORSROCK** for favouriting this story. I am so honoured that you decided to add my creation to your favourites collection :)_  


___And last, but certainly not least, thank you to all of my amazing commenters: **Liveforblueandredties**, **nomorecandles**, **iluvklainebows**, **GleekStarKid** x2, **Daisy.R.O**, __**jennanderton78**_, **gracecairney**, **LiesMiranda**, **kawaii01**, _**lovebird588**_, **KraziiIsMe**, _**SaveTheLastDance4Me**_, and **Tamara**. You guys seriously have no idea how much I love getting reviews from you. I absolutely love getting to see your reactions and see what you loved and hated. I cannot thank you enough for continuing to stick with this story :) I promise you that there is a lot more to come. Though they have finally kissed, this story is FAR from over :)  


___I hope that you enjoy this new chapter :)  
_

* * *

****Chapter 35 ~ A Little Less Conversation

**Darren's POV**

"_Finally_!" A familiar voice exclaimed, causing us to break apart in surprise. We both turned to stare a very smug-looking Chris. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Chris, we were kind of having a moment here," I sighed, hinting that he should leave. Unfortunately, he didn't pick up on my hint.

"It's been a long awaited moment!" Chris laughed. "Seriously, it feels like we've been waiting _forever_ for you guys to _finally_ get together!"

"We?" Kaley asked tentatively.

"Me, Leah, other Lea," Chris grinned, listing off names. "Mark, Naya, Heather, Harry, Jenna, Kevin, Amber, Vicky-"

"Wait, Vicky?" Kaley sputtered. I was surprised by her reaction, but then again, I was also a little surprised. I didn't know anyone named Vicky... at least I didn't think I did... But her name did sound a little familiar.

"Yeah, we've talked a couple times and you guys came in up conversation once," he admitted. "She is totally for you guys getting together though. Why do you think she always asked _you_ to help fix Darren's mic pack?" I could see Kaley's cheeks turning red out of the corner of my eye and suddenly she was clutching my shirt, hiding her face in the fabric.

"Oh, come on, Kaley," I chuckled, gently pulling her off my shirt and looking her in the eyes. "I think that it's cute that they all support this... _us_." Her eyes slowly lit up as I spoke.

"Oh, and by the way?" I whispered in her ear. "You're so adorably cute when you're embarrassed!" This made her cheeks flare up again and she quickly looked down, away from me. I gently tilted her head up and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Like I said," I smiled. "_Adorable_."

"Well, now that you've got that all covered," Chris said suddenly, drawing our attentions back to him. "Kaley, would you be able to come back to the hotel with us tonight? Not overnight again, but just for a little while? I have a special birthday gift for you."

"You didn't bring it with you?" Kaley asked, to which Chris just laughed.

"No, honey," he chuckled. "It was much more _convenient _to just leave them back at the hotel. And then maybe we could even hang out for a little while afterwards, watch a movie or something."

"That sounds like fun," she smiled, turning to look up at me again. "What do you think?"

"What do I think?" I smiled as well. "Hmmm, let's see... You're offering me an excuse to cuddle with you all night... Yeah, I think that it sounds like a good idea."

"Alright, we're game," Kaley told Chris.

"Alright, well I'm going to go help Leah with the clothes," Chris nodded, starting to turn away. "I'll let you get back to what you were doing. See you back at the hotel?"

"Yep," I nodded, wishing that he would hurry up and just leave. With another slight smirk, he turned and left.

"So," I smiled, turning back to Kaley. "Where were we?"

"Right here," she smiled as well, tapping her finger to her lips expectantly.

"Oh, right," I chuckled, leaning down to kiss her again. I never wanted to stop kissing her. It was like as if my body wanted to make up for lost time, time that we had wasted worrying about whether or not I liked her and whether or not she liked me. But now I wasn't going to waste anymore time.

_Unless it's with her,_ I thought as my lips pressed against hers. _Then it will be time well wasted._

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

"So," he smiled. "Where were we?"

"We were right here," I smiled back, slyly tapping my lips with my finger. Inwardly I was having a mini freak out that we had just used the same lines that we had used in my very realistic dream back on my birthday.

"Oh, right," he chuckled as he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine again.

There was no sweeter taste than the taste of his lips against mine. It felt as if his lips were a drug that I had been craving for far too long and now I was finally being satisfied... and I couldn't get enough of it! It seemed like maybe he felt the same way because he kissed me back just as passionately as I kissed him.

"Get a room!" a sharp, familiar voice snapped. We broke away from each other again and turned to find James standing before us, scowling.

"Ugh, what do you want, James?" I demanded, slightly angry that he had interrupted us.

"I think you know what I want," he smirked, his eyes hungrily running over my body.

"I think that you should leave," Darren's voice was cold as he stepped in front of me protectively, shielding me from James' lustful eyes. "_Now_."

"Ooooo!" James laughed. "Looks like _pretty boy_ here has a slight temper. You should be careful around boys like him, Kaley. Girls _always _end up hurt when they date boys like _that_. If you ever want a _real_ man, you know where to find me." With that, he turned and walked away, a huge smirk plastered on his face. I felt Darren shift as if he was going to follow him, but I grabbed his arm to stop him.

_Holy crap! Muscles! No! Stop it!_ I scolded myself, trying to ignore the feeling bubbling in my stomach as my hands wrapped around the prominent muscles on his arm. _Focus, Kaley!_

"Darren, don't," I begged, holding on to his arm. "Just leave him be. He's all talk. That's it. Please, I don't want you to get in trouble over him!"

"Okay," he sighed, and I could feel the tension leave his body as he relaxed. He slowly turned back to me and cupped my face in his hands.

"I won't let _anything_ happen to you, Kaley," he said softly. "_I_ _promise_."

"I know," I smiled, reaching my hand up to cup his cheek tenderly as well. I slowly dropped my hand down and pulled one of his away from my face, gently entwining my fingers through his.

"Come on," I said, starting to pull him away with me. "Let's go."

"Where?" he asked, allowing me to pull him along.

"To your room," I smiled playfully. "I think that we have a bit of time to kill until Leah and Chris get there. And besides, we were told to '_get a room_', remember?"

"Oh, you are too cute," he laughed, leaning in to kiss me again, but I placed my free hand against his chest, stopping him.

"Save it for your room," I told him teasingly, not letting him kiss me.

"You're killing me," he whispered in my ear, gently kissing my head before pulling away. "My room it is, then. After you, my Lady."

"Oh, why thank you, my good Sir!" I replied with a smile, attempting to give him a slight curtsy. Breaking out in laughter, I pulled him away down the hall, heading towards the exit. I couldn't wait to get back to his room.

_Or more specifically,_ I smiled to myself. _I can't wait to feel his lips against mine again._

* * *

**Leah's POV**

"Hey, Leah," Chris' voice floated in as he entered the room. "How's the washing going?"

"Good," I smiled, looking up at him. "I've got the last couple of loads on now, so we should be able to get out of here sooner than we thought." I paused, trying to look past him at the door. "Speaking of _we_, have you seen Kaley anywhere? She stormed out of here a while ago and I haven't seen her since... I don't know what I did to upset her..."

A frown quickly replaced my smile as I wondered why she had gotten so upset at me over nothing. All I did was comment on how her phone was repeatedly vibrating.

"Oh, honey," Chris sighed, coming over and enveloping me in a hug. "I'm sure that it wasn't anything that you did. She's probably just stressed with all of the paparazzi attention and lashed out at you. I know that I've lashed out at Darren _plenty_ of times when I'm stressed out, even though he didn't do anything... well, except be a silly goofball." This got a laugh out of me.

"Thanks," I chuckled, the smile returning to my lips. "You always know what to say to make me smile."

"That's what friends are for, love," he said, giving me another tight squeeze before letting me go. I felt my heart fill with joy at his words. _Friends_. I was _friends_ with Christopher _freaking_ Colfer! This was seriously a dream come true... well, it would have been an even better dream come true if Chris had actually liked me more than a friend... much more...

I sighed. Unfortunately, that was not going to happen.

_Why couldn't he like me the way that Darren likes Kaley? _I sighed inwardly. _Speaking of Darren and Kaley..._

"Speaking of _friends_, where are our two _oblivious_ love birds?" I asked. A smile spread across Chris' lips.

"They are off... _talking_," he smirked, apparently not letting me in on some sort of inside joke. "They're going to meet us back at the hotel so that I can give you and Kaley your birthday gifts and then we're going to watch a movie."

"Ooo!" I exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly. "I almost forgot about that!"

"The movie?" Chris asked teasingly.

"No, you silly-billy!" I exclaimed, smacking his arm with the back of my hand. "The gift! What is it?"

"I'm not telling!" he grinned.

"Puh-lease?" I begged, giving him puppy dog eyes.

"Sorry, hun," he giggled, pinching my cheeks. "Puppy eyes don't work on me. Ask Darren. He's tried that enough times on me!"

"You're no fun!" I pouted, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Oh, Leah," he sighed. "You will get your present soon enough. As soon as the clothes are done, then we can head over to the hotel."

As if on cue, the buzzer on the washing machine went off, alerting us that it was done.

"Present time!" I exclaimed gleefully, skipping over to the machine and pulling the clothes out.

"We're not done yet," Chris laughed, coming up beside me to help take the clothes out. We quickly put all of the clothes into a basket and then took it over to an empty rack, where we hung up the damp clothes. We had to let these clothes air dry as they would most likely shrink if we were to put them in the dryer, which would not be a good thing at all.

"There!" I stated as I hung the last shirt up on the rack. "We're done. Now can I have my present?"

"We have to go back to the hotel first," he laughed, amused by my excitement. "Your presents are both there and Kaley has to be there when I give them to you."

"Them?" I gasped. "As in more than one? Ooo! What are they? Please, the suspense is killing me!"

"Hotel," was all he said before turning and walking out of the room. With an annoyed huff, I quickly followed him out, all the while wondering what the present could possibly be.

_Bracelets? Earrings? No, Kaley doesn't wear earrings..._ my mind buzzed over the different ideas. _Maybe it's an invitation to come work on __**Glee**__! No, Chris has never heard me sing... _I sighed, starting to run out of ideas.

_Oh! What if it's another _kiss_! No, he wouldn't give Kaley a kiss in front of Darren. Though they won't admit it, they're both head-over-heels for each other and Darren would flip if he kissed her... Oh well. Whatever it is, I know that it's going to be great._ I smiled as I looked at the man walking beside me. _I mean, this is _Chris_ that we're talking about! I'm sure that whatever it is, it's going to be _totally awesome_!_

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

Me: _Leah, what movie should we watch?_

Darren and I couldn't decide. Between the two of us, we were absolutely _horrible_ at making decisions, especially when it came to what movie we should watch.

"Ok, what about _Mulan_?" Darren asked, holding up the DVD case.

"Yeah, that's a good one too," I nodded. "Add it to the pile." I gestured over to the bed where we had created a small pile of DVDs. _Mulan_ was added to the pile consisting of _Tangled_, _The Little Mermaid_, _Aladdin_, _Cinderella_, _The Lion King_, and _The Princess and the Frog_.

"You know what?" Darren said suddenly, looking through the movies. "Each of these movies remind me of you in some way."

"Oh?" I chuckled, sitting down on the bed beside him. "How so?"

"Well, _Aladdin_, for example," he said, holding up the DVD case. "Because now you are in '_a whole new world with me'_."

"You're so cheesy!" I laughed, shoving him playfully. "Ok, well then, what about _The Princess and the Frog_?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he exclaimed. "You're the beautiful Princess and I'm the lonely frog longing for his magical kiss!"

"Right," I rolled my eyes at him. "More like I'm that average girl who meets the famous prince and gets dragged into his problems!" Darren gave me a hurt look, pouting his lips slightly and pretending to be about to cry.

"Oh, you big cry baby!" I laughed, playfully smacking his arm. "You know I'm just teasing!"

"Ouch!" he exclaimed, grabbing his arm where I had hit him.

"Wuss," I said under my breath as I picked up the next DVD. "Ok, what about _Cinderella_?"

"That one's easy," he smiled, taking the case from my hands. "A dashing prince-" I rolled my eyes. "-is tormented by a mysterious woman because he can't figure out who she is. Sound familiar?"

"The _mystery singer_," I laughed. "Instead of '_if the shoe fits_' it was '_if the voice fits_'!"

"Exactly!" Darren exclaimed, happy that I was catching on. "Ok, now _Mulan_. I think about the song _Reflection_ for this one, because you want people to see _who you are inside_, but you're too afraid to show that side of you sometimes."

"It's a very pretty song," was all I said in reply. The truth was, he was right. I was too scared to show that side of me sometimes.

"Ya, I figured that it was a better song choice than _I'll Make A Man Out Of You_," he chuckled.

"Ya, we wouldn't want you going all _CrissColfer_ on me now!" I laughed as well. He just rolled his eyes at me.

"It's kind of sad when I have to come out as a straight man because everyone thinks that I'm gay like my character," he sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Like, I think that the fans are great and they have some very creative imaginations, but it can be hard sometimes trying to date someone and have people hate on her because she's not Chris. Like, I love the guy, but he's nothing more than just my best friend."

"Oh the joys of the celebrity world!" I commented sarcastically, evoking a laugh from him.

"Yes..." he sighed. "Oh, but back to _Mulan_, I would say that you are also a _Girl Worth Fighting For_."

"Ok, enough of that," I said, trying to hide the blush rising to my cheeks. "What about _The Lion King_?"

"Ok, well, don't hate me, but you're like Simba when you felt all alone and had no one to turn to," Darren said softly. "But then you have the loveable Timon and Pumba, aka Leah and Chris, to come in and cheer you up."

"Oh?" I chuckled. "And who does that make you? Nala?"

"No," he smiled. "I'd be Rafiki!"

"Oh, right!" I exclaimed. "Because you're such a monkey!"

"Technically, Rafiki is a baboon," he corrected me.

"Are you saying that you have a red butt?" I asked.

"Ok, moving on now!" Darren said, his cheeks turning slightly red.

"Oh! There's your red '_cheeks_'!" I giggled, making him blush even harder.

"So MOVING ON then," he repeated, picking up the next movie. "_Tangled_. I think that one is obvious. It took both of us a while to realize how we felt about each other."

"Ok, so one movie left," I said, picking up _The Little Mermaid_. "So, is this one because I'm now '_part of your world_'?"

"Actually, I was thinking about something else," he smiled, moving closer to me. "I was thinking more along the lines of _Kiss The Girl_." Suddenly his lips were pressed against mine and I slowly fell back on the bed, Darren following me down. I ran my fingers through his hair, releasing the soft locks from their gelled prison.

"Oh, Kaley," he moaned softly through kisses.

_**CRASH!**_

The loud noise made us both jump and my forehead painfully smacked against his. I winced as I rubbed the tender spot.

"What the he-" Darren started to say, looking over to where the noise had come from. And there, lying on the floor, was Leah and Chris. Behind them was a tipped over room service trolley, broken pieces of plates and glass scattering the floor around it.

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed, leaping off the bed and hurrying over to them. "Are you okay?" I offered my hand to Leah, who took it, and I helped her get to her feet, Darren doing the same for Chris.

"I-I-I'm fine," Leah stuttered, a little shaken.

"What happened?" Darren asked.

"Leah suddenly stopped and I didn't realize it, so I ran into her and lost my balance and started to fall backwards, so I grabbed onto her for support, but ended up pulling her down with me," Chris explained. "And then we must have hit the trolley and then this-" he gestured to the fallen trolley and broken dishware. "happened. Leah, why did you stop?"

"You!" she exclaimed, pointing at me and Darren. "You were _kissing_!"

"Oh, yeah..." I blushed. "Umm, Leah? I kinda forgot to tell you something... Darren and I are-"

A hand suddenly slid into mine and gave it a light squeeze. Darren.

"Dating," he finished. "Kaley and I are _dating_."

* * *

**Darren's POV**

"You're _WHAT_?!" Leah exclaimed, her jaw dropping open. She suddenly turned on Kaley, eyes wild. "You're _dating_ and you didn't tell me!?"

"It kinda just happened," she blushed, sneaking glances at me. I winked at her, which made her blush even more.

"Leah, honey, you need to settle down," Chris attempted to calm her.

"Did you know about this?" she demanded, whirling on him.

"It wasn't my place to tell," he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Why am I always the last one to know about _everything_?!" she exclaimed, very frustrated.

"Leah, I'm sorry," Kaley said softly, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder. "I was kind of a little... _busy_ and didn't get a chance to tell you... I was going to tonight, if that's any consolidation. Honestly, Leah, it literally _just_ happened."

Leah just gave her an angry glare that stated that she was still not happy with her friend.

"I know what will make you happy," Chris smiled. "Maybe getting a certain special something from a certain special someone..." He winked at her playfully, making her blush, and my thoughts quickly reflected back to the night of the bar when Leah had referred to Chris kissing her as a '_Chris Kiss_'. But this wasn't what they were referring to now.

"The birthday surprise!" Leah squealed, clapping her hands excitedly. "What is it? What is it?"

"Follow me," he laughed. We all followed him out of the room and into the elevator, which took us all the way down to the parking garage.

"Oh my gosh, did you get us a car?!" Leah asked, her eyes wide with excitement, but Chris just shook his head and laughed.

"You will see," he said as the doors opened and we exited the elevator. He quickly led us over to a parking spot that had what appeared to be a tent pitched over it.

"Are you ready for your birthday surprise?" Chris asked with a smile, his hand hovering over the flaps that were the entrance to the tent. Both girls nodded eagerly.

"Alright," he laughed, pulling back the flaps. "Here they are! Happy Birthday, girls!" We all peered inside the tent and very loud gasps suddenly slipped from the two girls' throats.

_Well,_ _I didn't see that one coming,_ I chuckled to myself. Chris had never told me what he had gotten them as he was too afraid that I would slip up and tell them, and it was probably a good thing that he hadn't because I probably would have.

I looked over at Kaley's astonished face and smiled. This was going to make it easier for us to see each other. _A lot _easier.

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

I could not believe it. It didn't feel real. First, Darren states that we are _dating_ and then Chris gives us _these_?!

"I can't accept that!" I exclaimed once I found my voice. "It's too much, Chris!"

"Nonsense!" Chris just smiled. "It'll make it easier for you guys to come see us now." I just shook my head as I looked back at the gift before us.

Scooters. He had gotten us _scooters!_ Not one scooter, but two. One for each of us.

"I can't believe you got us scooters!" I shook my head at him.

"Why not?" he shrugged, all the while still grinning. "They are super cost efficient. You don't need gas for them. All you have to do is plug them in at night to charge up the battery. Plus, they are just so adorably cute! And so much fun to ride!"

"And how would you know?" Leah asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I may or may not have tested them out," Chris replied nonchalantly.

Arms suddenly wrapped around my waist from behind and I instantly knew it was Darren, who leaned down and whispered in my ear, "I can't wait to try it out with you." I shivered with excitement as I thought about driving around on the scooter with him, exploring this amazing city.

"Can't wait," I whispered back, hugging the arms that were wrapped around my waist.

"Red or black?" Leah asked me, gesturing towards the scooters.

"Definitely the black one," I said, pointing to the scooter on the left.

"Ok, then I'll take the red one," she moved over to the scooter on the right and swung her leg over the seat. "Where are the keys for this thing?"

"Whoa, honey!" Chris laughed. "Not tonight. We'll take them out tomorrow and I'll show you how to drive them, okay?"

"Okay," she sighed, getting back off the scooter. "Now what?"

"Now," I smiled, glancing briefly up at Darren. "We go watch a movie. Do you want to watch _Mulan_, _The Lion King_, _Cinderella_, _Tangled_, _The Little Mermaid_, _Aladdin_, or _The Princess and the Frog_? We narrowed it down to those seven."

"I vote for _The Little Mermaid_!" Darren smirked, winking at me. I blushed and quickly looked back at Chris and Leah.

"_Little Mermaid_ sounds good to me," Chris agreed and Leah nodded as well. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head that Darren had gotten his way, but half an hour later, there we were, curled up in bed, singing along to _Part Of Your World_. As the song ended, I snuggled back against Darren, laying my head against his chest.

_Lup-dub. Lup-dub. Lup-dub._

The soothing sound of his heart beat in my ear made me smile and, without meaning to, my eyes slowly started to close and I soon found myself being lulled to sleep. The last thing I remembered was the gentle sounds of his heart beating.

_Lup-dub. Lup-dub. Lup-dub._


	36. Chapter 36: Lucky

_First off, let me apologize for how late this is! I did not mean for two weeks to pass me by that quickly! Between school and work, it isn't always easy to find time to write, so I'm sorry, but I'm doing the best I can!_

_Thank you to everyone who submitted a tweet. Not all of them were used because I could only choose so many and some were either too long or used the "L" word, which I have been avoiding for now. The "L" word is a serious thing! :-p But honestly, I loved each and every one of them and if I could have, I would have used them all! 3_

_Shout outs to the amazing people who joined the following family: , **folleragaza**, **dcislife**, and **harleyquinn2587**._

_Shout outs to the amazing people who favourited this story: **LightShadow108**, **CamillaS**, **dcislife**, and **folleragaza**. _

_Shout outs to my ever amazing commenters: **LiesMiranda**, **iluvklainebows**, **Liveforblueandredties**, **Daisy.R.O**, **nomorecandles**, **Ilikemutemath**, **lovebi****rd588**, **GleekStarKid**, **kawaii01**, **SaveTheLastDanceForMe**, and **dcislife**. Your amazing comments seriously make my day! And never worry about rambling because I absolutely LOVE it when you guys ramble. I love hearing all of your thoughts :)  
_

_I have more amazingness planned for you guys soon! If you've been keeping track of what "day" they're on, then you'll be excited to know that something dramatic is going to happen "tomorrow"! Something to look forward to! :)  
_

_Happy Halloween! Here is my special "treat" to you! Enjoy! :)  
_

* * *

Chapter 36 ~ Lucky

**Kaley's POV**

This was the second time that I woke up with someone else's arms wrapped around me, but unlike the first time, I did not freak out. Instead, I just smiled and snuggled back into his embrace. My _boyfriend's_ embrace.

The thought made me jittery. Darren Criss was my _boyfriend_! This was like a dream come true... a dream that I was afraid that I was going to wake up from. This fear made me hug his arms tighter, afraid that he might disappear. The movement must have woken him, because he suddenly leaned down and gently kissed my neck.

"Morning, Beautiful," he whispered softly in my ear. I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Morning," I smiled back, turning slightly to look at him.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, brushing a piece of hair out of my face and tucking it behind my ear.

"Mhmm," I nodded, leaning my head up for a good morning kiss, which he eagerly gave me.

"Oh good, you're awake!" Leah's voice exclaimed and suddenly there was another body on the bed. "Mind explaining this to me?"

I looked up at her to see what she was going on about and saw the magazine in her hand. And on the front cover was a huge picture of the coffee spillage incident with Vanessa from the previous day. I felt heat rush to my cheeks as Darren reached over and took the magazine from her.

"You dumped _coffee _on _Vanessa_?" he exclaimed.

"I didn't mean to!" I cried. "She grabbed my arm when I was trying to leave and the cup started sliding out of my hand, so I squeezed it and the top came off and the next thing I knew it was all over her and she was screaming profanities at me!"

"I can't believe you dumped coffee all over Vanessa," Darren shook his head.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, lowering my head.

"Don't be," he laughed, lifting my chin. "She got what she deserved."

"When did you see _Vanessa_?" Leah asked, cutting off what might have been another kiss. I pulled away from Darren to look over at her.

"Yesterday," I admitted. "That's why I snapped at you. I was upset over what happened and then there was all of the hate mail-"

"What hate mail?" Leah exclaimed, cutting me off. "You've been getting hate mail? From who?"

"Vanessa's fans," I sighed. "As well as some Danessa fans. Someone called us out on Vanessa's fan site and then they found my _Twitter_ account and I had been getting horrible tweets from them nonstop. _That's _why I wasn't answering my phone when it was vibrating. They were _Twitter_ alerts from every tweet I was getting and I couldn't figure out how to turn it off. Thankfully, Darren was finally able to shut it off for me last night, but ya..."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Leah asked quietly.

"I didn't want to pull you into my problems," I admitted softly. "They weren't hating on you, and I wanted to keep you safe from them. I knew if I told you that you would lash out at them, but that would just bring all the hate down on you too, and I couldn't let that happen."

"You should have told me, Kaley," Leah said, shifting closer to put her arm around my shoulder. "I don't care if people send me hate mail. They're just empty words from jealous people. People like that don't matter. Kaley, you don't have to suffer through this alone."

"_Baby, you're not alone,_" Darren started to sing softly.

"_Cause you're here with me,_" I answered, slipping my hand into his.

"_And nothing's ever gonna bring us down!_" Leah joined in with us. We stopped, taking a dramatic pause, which was maybe a little too dramatic because I couldn't help the giggle that threatened to slip from my lips. Luckily, I was not the first one to crack. A small squeak came from Leah as she tried to hold in her laughter, but she failed, and suddenly we were all lying on the bed, laughing like hyenas.

"I think I missed something," Chris' voice suddenly came from the doorway. We all stopped and looked up to find him standing there with a tray of _Starbucks_ drinks and a paper bag with the _Starbucks_ logo in his hands. We paused, looked at him, then at each other, and then started laughing again.

"Fine, don't let me in on your secret then," he humphed, walking farther into the room and dumping his load onto the table. The smell of coffee suddenly filled the room as Chris took the lid off of one of the cups.

"_Coffee_!" Darren almost squealed, leaping out of the bed and over to the table where Chris was. I just rolled my eyes as I slid out of the bed and walked over to them, Leah following me.

"Green tea with honey for our non-coffee drinker," Chris smiled, handing me one of the cups.

"Thanks," I smiled, accepting the cup from him before peeking into the paper bag. "Ooo! Muffins!" I reached into the bag and pulled out what looked like a blueberry muffin. I took it back over to the bed where Darren had sat back down with his coffee cupped sacredly in his hands and sat down beside him. Once I was comfortable, I took a big bite from the muffin and smiled. "Mmmmm, it's still warm!"

"Did you think that I would bring back _cold _muffins?" Chris scoffed, slightly offended.

"No, it's just that I've never really had warm muffins from _Starbucks_ before," I replied immediately, trying to cover my tracks. "They're usually cold."

"Well, _I_ had them specially heated for us," Chris grinned triumphantly.

"Liar," Leah laughed, rolling her eyes at him. "They were fresh out of the oven when we got there."

"_Leah_!" Chris exclaimed. "You're supposed to be on my side and help make me look good!"

"Opps," she giggled. "Sorry, _muffin_."

He just rolled his eyes as he turned back to look at me and Darren.

"Okay, you two had better get moving if you want to be able to go for a scooter ride before the show today," Chris stated as he started to clean up the breakfast mess.

"I'll have to go home to shower and change," I argued, popping another piece of muffin into my mouth.

"No, you don't," Leah shook her head. "Me and Chris stopped by the apartment earlier and grabbed some clothes for you." She pointed to a bag sitting by the door. "So you can shower and change here."

"Okay," I sighed, getting up and starting to head towards the bathroom. I wasn't a fan of hotel showers. I preferred showering in the comforts of my own home.

"Me first!" Darren declared, jumping off the bed and bolting past me into the bathroom. He stuck his tongue out at me triumphantly before slamming the door shut.

"Jerk!" I called out, glaring at the closed door. "Haven't you ever heard of '_ladies first_'?" The only response I got was the sound of the shower turning on.

I rolled my eyes and turned back to face Chris and Leah. Both of them were looking at me with huge grins plastered across their faces.

"What?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at them.

"You guys are too cute!" Leah gushed, squealing slightly with happiness. "You're seriously so cute together!"

"Yeah, but not everyone thinks so," I sighed, sitting down on the bed again. "Seriously, the _Twitter _hate has just been nonstop and it's really been getting to me. I know that I shouldn't let it bother me so much, but I can't help it. It upsets me that so many people think poorly of me..."

"We'll, there's only one person, besides Leah and myself, whose opinion should matter to you," Chris said with a smile, suddenly holding out his phone for me to look at. "And he thinks you're amazing." I looked at the screen and saw that there was a new tweet from Darren.

_I've never been happier in all my life that 'I finally found you, my missing puzzle piece. I'm complete.' You're amazing. You 'complete' me. _- DarrenCriss

My heart skipped a beat. I made him _happy_.

_Well you make me happy too,_ I smiled to myself, my eyes flickering back over to the closed bathroom door. _You are my _Teenage Dream _too._

* * *

**Darren's POV**

Within seconds of me hitting send, I instantly got what seemed like hundreds of replies.

_DarrenCriss OMG! Is that about KalesOfFun ? Are the rumours true?_ - GleeFreak47

_ DarrenCriss I'll be your Teenage Dream 3 _- AddictedToDarren

_ DarrenCriss you complete ME 3_ - SuperMegaFoxyAwesomeHot

_ DarrenCriss I bet that's about KalesOfFun ! I would kill to be her right now!_ - DarrensFutureWife

_ DarrenCriss is KalesOfFun your girlfriend?_ - TakeMeUpToWinnipeg

I smiled as I read the last one.

_I guess she is now,_ I smiled to myself. I hit the reply button to that tweet and answered with a simple:_ Yes :) _

I suddenly felt really giddy. I had never felt like this with any other girl before. Kaley really was different. She was _special_.

Just for fun, I decided to search her on _Twitter _and what I saw did not please me. My screen quickly filled with more hate tweets than I had seen last night. People were still hating on Kaley because of Vanessa. I felt my blood start to boil as I quickly composed a new tweet.

_ KalesOfFun is amazing! Why are you hating on her? A true fan wouldn't hate! Help me show her that not everyone is a hater 3_ - DarrenCriss

_There, _I smiled proudly. _That should help things._

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

"Oh my gosh! Kaley!" Leah exclaimed suddenly, not looking up from her phone. "Go check your _Twitter_! Now!"

I frowned. I didn't really ever want to "check" my _Twitter _ever again. I would still post the occasional tweet, but I never stayed on for long and definitely never checked any of my mentions.

"Do I have to?" I whined, though I still proceeded to pull out my phone.

"Yes, you do!" Leah replied anxiously.

"Fine," I sighed, signing into my _Twitter _on my phone. I clicked on the mentions tab, preparing myself for the onslaught of bitter words, but I did not find any. Instead, my feed was filled with encouraging tweets.

_ KalesOfFun Oh My Gosh! You are so adorable! Ignore those losers! You have a natural beauty, something Vanessa wishes she had!_ - Gleekerific

_ KalesOfFun Hold your head up high, honey. You and Darren are meant to be 3_ - gerdawg

_Finally someone put Vanessa in her place! Don't know her, but already liking KalesOfFun. You go, girl! Daley Danessa! _- loreloveslife

_ KalesOfFun they wrote it, HATERS. If they spread it, FOOLS. If anyone believes it, IDIOTS. You're amazing kales 3 _- zahraauob

_ KalesOfFun you seem too nice to be getting so much hate over your private life, ignore them! #smilelotsbehappy_ - moonyshoeslupin

_ KalesOfFun Kaley, forget haters You and Darren are meant to be, so don't let them rain on your parade. #DaleyRules 3_ - GleekStarKid3

I felt my eyes starting to tear up. People _did_ like me. Not all of the fans hated me. Heck, some of them were totally shipping us!

"Look at this one!" Leah exclaimed, showing me her screen. "They referred to you as _Karren_!"

"Reminds me of my mom," Chris mumbled to himself as he scrolled through his phone. "Karren, KD, Daley..." He started to list off the names we were being called.

"_Daley_..." I tasted the name on my lips. "I like it. It's cute."

"I agree," Darren's voice slipped into the room. We all turned towards the bathroom to see him standing in the doorway with just a towel wrapped around his waist. My eyes slid up and down his still slightly dripping body and I instantly felt heat rising to my cheeks again, but this time, I didn't look away.

"Progress," Darren chuckled lightly as he walked over and placed a light kiss on my forehead. "You're turn."

* * *

**Darren's POV**

Kaley ended up taking longer in the shower than we thought she would, so we didn't have a whole lot of time to go scootering before the show.

"We can still scooter _to_ the theater," Leah argued as we headed down to the parking garage. "And then we can go out again between shows."

"What do you think, Darren?" Chris asked me, his eyes lighting up with laughter. "Do you think Leah likes her birthday present?"

"I don't know," I shrugged playfully. "Maybe you should take it back-" I was silenced by an icy glare from Leah.

"Or not," I chuckled, following Kaley over to her sleek, black scooter. She picked up the two helmets sitting on it and handed one to me, which I quickly put on. The helmet was a little snug, but I didn't say anything about it.

"Okay," Kaley said, swinging her leg over the scooter. "Now how do you work this thing?"

"It's a lot like a motorbike," Chris laughed, walking over to help her. "You turn this handle to give it gas and you pull this to brake." He pointed to the different parts as he explained. "When you come to a stop, make sure you put your feet down to stabilize yourself, like you would on a normal bike and I think that steering is pretty obvious. Got all that?"

"I think so," Kaley nodded slowly.

"Alright, then let's go!" Chris grinned, walking back over to where Leah sat waiting with her scooter. He quickly hopped on the scooter behind her and I copied him by hopping on behind Kaley.

"You ready?" I whispered in her ear.

"Are you kidding?" she grinned. She quickly turned the handle and the scooter suddenly jolted to life, sending us forward a few feet.

"Not that fast!" Chris shouted as Kaley released the handle and squeezed down on the brake, stopping us.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "That was a rush!"

"You've got to turn it _slowly_, Kaley!" Leah laughed. "It can be really sensitive!"

"Alright," Kaley giggled. "Let's try that again." She slowly turned the handle again and this time the scooter eased forward a lot more smoothly.

"I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" Kaley exclaimed happily.

"Follow me!" Leah said, turning her scooter around and driving up out of the garage. Kaley quickly followed her, seeming to grow more and more comfortable with driving the scooter as we went along.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, giving her a light squeeze. I could practically feel Kaley's excitement emanating from her body. She was loving this. But, as all good things sadly tend to do, our ride had to come to an end as we pulled up into the theatre's parking lot.

"That was so much fun!" Kaley exclaimed as she shut the scooter off. Once the scooter was off, I quickly hopped off and helped hold the scooter still so that Kaley could get off too before quickly putting it onto its stand for her.

"Thanks," she smiled at me, slipping her hand into mine as we turned and walked towards the theatre. We were almost to the door when Kaley suddenly pulled her hand out of mine.

"Opps, I forgot sweater in the scooter!" she said, turning back towards it. "You go ahead. I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay," I smiled, following Leah and Chris into the building. Once inside, we split off to go our own separate ways. Chris headed over to hair and make-up, Leah to the laundry room, and I headed to my own dressing room.

I opened the door and suddenly everything went dark. I instantly reached my hands up to my eyes and felt something warm. A hand.

"_Surprise_!" a familiar voice exclaimed and the hand suddenly pulled away. "Did you miss us?"

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

"You go ahead. I'll be there in a minute." I called out as I turned back to the scooter.

"Okay," he smiled, turning away and entering the building.

I quickly went over to the scooter, popped open the storage compartment, and took out my sweater. As I pulled it out, something pink fell out as well. I croutched down to pick it up and realized that it was a pair of sunglasses. _Darren's _sunglasses.

_I've never been one for wearing pink..._ I thought as I put the sunglasses on top my head. _But I think I can make an exception for these._

Sweater in hand and glasses on securely, I locked the scooter back up and quickly went inside. Leah wasn't in the laundry room so I figured that she must be out delivering outfits to the dressing rooms. I decided to grab Darren's clothes and take them to his dressing room because that was most likely where he was. There were surprisingly not very many outfits of his still hanging on the rack.

_Maybe Leah already grabbed most of them,_ I shrugged as I grabbed the few outfits left and threw them over my shoulder. I quietly hummed to myself as I walked down the hall, picking up the _Not Alone_ song again that Leah, Darren, and I had started singing earlier this morning. As I drew closer to Darren's room, I could hear voices, some that sounded slightly familiar, but I couldn't place them.

"So is it true about this Kaley Grant?" one voice said as I reached the door and, with a smile, a threw the door open and waltzed in.

"Did somebody say _Kaley Grant_?" I announced as I strutted in. I guess that singing _Not Alone _had placed me in an _AVPM _mindset, which caused me to paraphrased a line from the show, or more specifically from Draco Malfoy, played by the amazingly talented Lauren Lopez... whom I suddenly found myself standing in front of.

"Oh," was all that fell from my lips as my eyes grew wide with shock. I could feel my cheeks starting to flush with heat from embarrassment.

"Guys," Darren laughed, drawing the attention back to him. "This is my girlfriend, Kaley. Kaley, meet the _StarKids_." I slowly looked around the room in awe. Besides Lauren, Joey Richter, Brian Holden, Bonnie Gruesen, Jaime Lyn Beatty, and Joe Walker were all here too.

"Holy freaking Potter," I whispered under my breath, dropping the clothes that I had been carrying.

"Awwww, I think she's a little _starstruck_!" Joey laughed, coming closer and throwing his arm around my shoulder. "It's alright, Kaley! We're just normal, average people... who just happen to be amazingly talented and everyone loves us. But it's no biggie."

"Oh, Joey, stop it!" Bonnie laughed, shoving him away from me. "Ignore him, Kaley. He's just a big tease."

"Are you calling me _fat_?!" Joey demanded, placing his hands on his hips, an offended expression crossing his face. "Do I look fat to you, Joe?"

"Well, _Ron_ does eat a lot," Joe shrugged, a light smirk forming on his lips. "And it all goes to _your_ waist so..."

"Ok, guys, knock it off," Jaime laughed before turning to me. "It's nice to meet you, Kaley. I'm Jaime."

"I know," I smiled slightly. "I used to be super jealous of you."

"Really?" she seemed taken aback by my comment. "Why?"

"Because you got to kiss Darren," I replied, blushing again slightly.

"Oh!" she laughed, moving closer to whisper in my ear. "Well, I'm the one who's jealous now. Darren's a dang good kisser. You're one lucky girl, Kaley."

A smile spread across my lips. I really liked these guys. They were even more awesome in person than they were on my computer screen.

"So what are you guys doing here?" I asked, my nerves starting to fade away.

"Isn't it obvious?" Joey exclaimed, throwing his arm around Darren's neck and pulling him down to give him a slight noogie. "We came to support our boy in his big show! And to meet his _mysterious_ new girl." He gave me a playful wink. "I can already say that I like you _much_ better than Vanessa. She was horrible."

"Totally," Lauren agreed, smiling at me. "You seem really nice. And you quote _my_ lines, so that already puts you in my good books."

"I'm glad," I smiled back at her. "You were probably my favourite in the show."

"Hey!" everyone else exclaimed, looking at me with upset and hurt expressions. Darren's face looked the most pitiful.

"I thought that _I_ was your favourite," he whined, pouting his lip slightly.

"I'm sorry, Dare," I had to hold back my laughter. "But nobody beats rolling around on the floor and _this_!" I proceeded to walk away and then turn back sharply, throwing my head back slightly in a dramatic pose.

"She's a _natural_!" Lauren exclaimed, clapping her hands. "Oh Darren, I like her! Can we keep her?"

"Sorry guys," Darren laughed, coming over to me and wrapping his arms around my waist protectively. "But she's mine." He nuzzled my neck playfully, which kind of tickled and make me squeak with surprise.

"Darren!" I squeaked. "That tickles!"

"Oh, does it?" he grinned mischievously. "Good." His fingers suddenly started tickling my sides and I squeaked again.

"_Darren_!" I exclaimed, trying to squirm out of his grasp. "No! Please! Stop! It _hurts_!"

"Ok, that's enough," Bonnie said suddenly, grabbing his ear and pulling him away from me.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Darren cried as he was being pulled away. I wrapped my arms around myself protectively as I sent Darren at glare.

"I am _extremely_ ticklish, Darren!" I pouted.

"So I've noticed," he joked, earning himself another sharp tug on the ear. "Ouch! Okay! I'm sorry! You can let go now!"

"Boys," Jaime laughed, shaking her head. "They don't understand how delicate we can be."

"Hey! We're delicate too!" Joey argued, pouting his lip slightly.

"Sure you are," Lauren laughed, punching his arm.

"_Ouch_!" he exclaimed dramatically, grabbing his arm protectively and glaring at her.

"Oh, suck it up, you big baby!" Lauren rolled her eyes at him.

"One hour till show time!" a voice called out from the hallway.

"I guess that we should leave you now to get ready," Joe said, patting Darren on the shoulder. "Break a leg, man!"

"And remember, we'll all be out there in the audience," Joey grinned, slapping Darren on the back. "So don't mess up!"

Darren rolled his eyes at his friend, then suddenly grabbed his friend in a headlock.

"If I do, I'll blame it on you," he teased, giving Joey a noogie.

"Hey! Watch the hair!" Joey exclaimed, pulling out of Darren's grip.

"Payback," Darren grinned.

"Ok, guys, we really should go now," Bonnie said, rolling her eyes at them.

"Ever the Hermoine," Joey sighed, heading towards the door. "A _total _buzz kill!"

"_Joey_!" she exclaimed, chasing him out the door. His laughter echoed back into the room as he hurried away.

"See you after the show!" Lauren smiled, heading for the door with Jaime. "I look forward to getting to catch up with you... and getting to know you more, Kaley."

"Yes, we have things we must discuss," Brian said, looking at Darren. "A certain muscial you promised to do with us..."

"Right!" Darren exclaimed. "Yes, well, we will talk more about it after."

"Alright," he smiled, heading out the door. "See you after. Come on, Joe." Joe smiled and gave us a goodbye wave as he followed Brian out the door.

"So," Darren said, a smile spreading across his lips. "What did you think of them?"

"I _loved _them!" I beamed. "They are just as awesome as I had imagined they would be."

"They loved you too," Darren smiled, coming over and kissing my forehead. "I can't wait till they hear you sing. They'll be blown away!"

"And who says I'm going to sing for them?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't sing, remember?"

"Yes, you do," Darren laughed, nuzzling his nose against mine. "I've heard you, and you have an amazing voice."

"I was drunk," I argued teasingly.

"You weren't this morning," he grinned, knowing he'd caught me. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Whatever," I said, pulling away from him to pick up the clothes that I had dropped. "You must have been dreaming." I handed him his clothes. "Here, you've got to get ready now, mister."

"Do I have to?" he whined, pouting his lip slightly.

"Yes," I laughed, heading for the door. "I'll see you after."

"Unless I need help with my mic pack," he grinned, giving me a wink.

"You wish," I laughed, leaving the door.

"You know I do!" his voice followed me out into the hall, making me smile.

_He's just too adorable,_ I smiled to myself. _I really am a lucky girl. First Darren, now the _StarKids... _I think that this is going to be a good day... No, more like a _totally awesome_ day. _Ichuckled at my own joke.

_And tonight is going to be just as _totally awesome_._

* * *

_**A/N:**  
_

_Check out this pic someone took in support of Daley! 3 It made my day! 3 . _


	37. Chapter 37: Don't Wanna Lose You

_Hey guys! Thank you for being so patient with me and this story. School has been crazy busy lately, being in the last few weeks before final exams and all. But thank you for sticking with me and Daley and Chreah during this time :) It means a lot to mean that you guys continue to love and support this story! :) The next couple upcoming chapters are going to be some pretty dramatic ones, so hopefully they will be worth the wait! :)  
_

_Thank you to **LeahEmmaLynnColfer**, **MarksMarianne**, **The Red Crayon**, **ginamarie7513**, ** mariannemarks1**, **paperheart27**, and **Wouldn'tYouLikeToKnow101** for joining our lovely family :)  
_

_Thank you to __****__**LeahEmmaLynnColfer**_, _**MarksMarianne**, __**ginamarie7513**,_ _** mariannemarks1**, and **paperheart27** for including this story to the list of your favourites :)_  


_____Thank you to my ever devoted commenters. I seriously live for your comments: **nomorecandles**, **Sarah**, **GleekStarKid**, **Britgle****ek**, **Daisy.R.O**, **kawaii01**, **paperheart27**, **grace cairney**, **harleyquinn2587**, **Iloveyourface**, **MarksMarianne**, **Liveforblueandredties**, ** mariannemarks1**, **iluvklainebows**, ****__**LeahEmmaLynnColfer**_, and **LiesMiranda**. You guys are always so patient when it comes to me updating and I just wanted to let you guys know how much I love and appreciate all of you :) You guys make me smile and inspire me to write. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart :)  


_____Also, if you like darker Klaine fics, please check out a new fic that I'm working on called Never Say Goodbye. Warning, it is dark.  
_

_____As always, I hope that you enjoy this new chapter :)  
_

* * *

Chapter 37 - Don't Wanna Lose You**  
**

**Darren's POV**

I could see my friends in the audience and I waved at them as we gave our final goodbye thank yous and bows. Their little group almost got as much attention as we did on stage, half because of who they were but mostly because of the loud screams and cat calls coming from their section. I couldn't help but roll my eyes and laugh at them.

"Thank you all for coming!" I said, holding up the mic to my lips to say my part. "We hope that you had an awesome time with us today! For us, it was _totally awesome_!" I couldn't help but grin like a madman. I had successfully snuck in an _AVPM _reference, which made the audience go crazy.

As soon as we finished our goodbyes, we all quickly moved back to let curtain close and as soon as it did, I let out a huge sigh of relief. I had made it through the show without screwing up in front of my friends. I know that they wouldn't have judged me if I had messed up, but they sure would have teased me about it!

"So are we still taking the scooters out?" Chris asked me as we walked back towards our dressing rooms.

"Oh shoot!" I exclaimed. "I totally forgot about that! Some of my friends came up to see the show and me and Kaley were going to go hang out with them for a while."

"Oh," a frown flickered across his lips. "I guess it'll just be me and Leah then..."

"You guys can come too, if you want," I replied instantly. "I don't know what we're doing yet, but the more, the merrier!"

"I'll see what Leah wants to do," Chris replied. "Maybe we'll scooter for a while and then come join you guys later. She _really _likes her present." A huge grin spread across his lips. He was clearly proud of himself and the choice he had made for her birthday gift.

"Sounds like a plan," I laughed as we arrived at our rooms. "I guess I'll see you later then!" I quickly went inside, hoping to change quickly so that I would have lots of time to catch up with my old theatre buddies.

After a couple of minutes, there was a knock on my door.

"Just a sec!" I called out, grabbing a shirt to put on.

"We've really got to stop meeting like this," I heard her laugh from behind me. I spun around to face her and smiled.

"What, you don't like the view?" I asked playfully, slightly flexing my exposed muscles.

"It could be better," she teased back, coming closer and placing a gentle hand on my chest. "The view's much better up close."

"It's even better when you look up," I said and when she looked up, I leaned down and kissed her.

"Mmm," she smiled as she gently pulled away. "I think you're right."

"Well that's not something that we hear often!" a familiar voice exclaimed, making us both turn towards the door. "Darren being right? That's just crazy talk!"

"Oh, you're _so _funny, Joey," I rolled my eyes at him.

"I know," he grinned. "And whenever you two are done _locking lips_, the rest of us are ready and waiting to go!" I leaned down and kissed Kaley once more before looking back up at him with a big grin.

"Ok, we're ready," I grinned, gently pulling away from her to put my shirt on. "So where did you guys want to go?"

"I have an idea," Kaley smiled, her eyes twinkling slightly as she looked up at me. "And I think it's the perfect place to go."

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

Darren instantly agreed with my idea, so we all piled into the limo and ten minutes later we were walking through the small doorway, setting off the bell's chime.

"_Kaley_!" Talia's voice instantly filled my ears. "You came back! And you brought _more _people!" I expected to get another tackle hug from her, but instead, the hug was given to someone else.

"_Darren_!" she squealed, attaching herself to his waist. "Is it true? Is it true? Is it true?"

"Is what true?" he laughed, trying to detach her from his hip.

"That you two are _dating_!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"_Talia May Dover_!" Grace exclaimed, coming out from the back room. "What did I tell you about people's personal space?"

"Sorry," Talia mumbled, hanging her head slightly as she stepped away from Darren.

"That's better," Grace smiled. "Hello, Kaley, dear! Hello, Darren! It's good to see you again! And who are all of your new friends?"

"Oh, this is Joey, Bonnie, Jaime, Joe, Brian, and last, but most certainly not least, Lauren," I smiled, pointing to each of them as I said their names. "Or, as they're better known as, the-"

"_StarKids_!" a deep voice exclaimed. I looked up and smiled as I watched Joe hurry over to us.

"I can't believe that the _StarKids _are in my shop!" Joe exclaimed excitedly. "I've seen all of your shows and I am a huge fan! It's such an honour to meet you guys!"

"It's nice to meet you," Brian laughed, extending a hand to him, which Joe eagerly took and shook. I couldn't help but laugh at the awestruck look on his face. He was in Heaven.

"Careful, Joe," I whispered to him. "Your _fangirl _is showing!"

"How are you not freaking out right now?" he asked me with wide eyes. "We used to spend hours watching and singing along to their shows!"

"Aww, I'm touched!" Joey exclaimed, hearing Joe's comment.

"Joe, I'm dating one of _Glee_'s biggest stars," I laughed. "I think that I've gotten pretty good at controlling my fangirlingness."

"Not completely," Darren whispered in my ear as he wrapped his arms around my waist and nuzzled my neck playfully, making me blush.

"So it's true then?" Joe asked, raising his eyebrows. "You two are dating?" I smiled and nodded as I hugged Darren's arms that were wrapped around me.

"I _knew _it!" Talia exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"Inside voice, Talia!" Grace scolded.

"Sorry," she mumbled, hanging her head again.

"It's okay, honey," Grace sighed. "You just need to watch how loud you are being."

"So... is anyone else hungry, or am I the only one with a growling stomach?" Joey suddenly asked, making us all laugh.

"What can I get you?" Grace smiled, returning to her spot behind the counter. Joey followed her over there and pressed his face up against the glass to look at all of the flavour options.

"Hmm, can I get that one- No, wait! That one! Wait, never mind, I want that one!" Joey exclaimed, pointing at the different flavours. "Wait, wait, wait, no, I want _that_ one! Or maybe-"

"You can have more than one flavour," Grace informed him, trying not to laugh. Joey's eyes widened, twinkling with delight.

"I _can_?!" he exclaimed happily. "In that case, I'll take a bit of that and that and that and that..."

I turned my attention away from Joey and back to Darren whose arms were still wrapped around me.

"You're friends are _amazing_," I told him with a smile. "They are exactly like the kind of people that I would have hung out with."

"Well, you did say that you were a theatre person," Darren smiled back. "So it makes sense that you would mesh well with other theatre geeks."

"Kaley! Come help me pick a flavour!" Lauren exclaimed suddenly, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of Darren's arms.

"Alright," I laughed, letting her pull me away, over to the counter. I could picture Darren pouting behind us, his lip sticking out slightly and his eyes looking hurt and dejected.

"What kind do you suggest?" Lauren asked, looking at all of the flavours.

"Hmmm," I mused, looking as well. "_Gold Medal Ribbon _has always been one of my favourites."

"Alright," she smiled. "I'll get that one then!" She told Grace her order, which the older woman quickly handed her. I continued to look at all of the different flavours as everyone else ordered, even though I knew the list by heart.

"I'll have a random," Darren told her when it was his turn, giving me a flirty wink. Though he did that often, I still couldn't help the small blush that rose to my cheeks. Maybe it was the fact that he was doing it out in public, in front of his friends and the people who were practically my family that made me blush. Grace smiled at our interaction as she scooped out some _Birthday Cake _ice cream for him. He thanked her as she handed it to him before turning back to me.

"What are you going to have?" he asked me.

"I don't know," I shrugged, looking back at the flavours again. I'd usually just say something random, but I didn't feel like doing that today. I was craving something specific, but I didn't know what that was. I turned back to Darren and gave him a mischievous little smile before I quickly stepped forward and licked his ice cream.

"Hey!" he exclaimed with a laugh, pulling his cone away protectively. "Get your own ice cream!"

"Fine then!" I pouted playfully, turning back to Grace. She gave me the '_I-want-to-talk-to-you-privately_' look.

"Why don't you go find somewhere where everyone can sit down?" I suggested to Darren. "I'll be over there in a minute. I just need to talk to Grace about something."

"Ok..." Darren replied, giving me a questioning look, to which I just shook my head, implying that it was nothing to worry about. He shrugged in response before turning away and leading everyone over to the tables near the window. I watched them walk away before turning back to face Grace.

"So this is usually the part when you say '_I told you so_'," I informed her with a sigh.

"And why would I do that?" Grace replied teasingly.

"You were right," I sighed, turning my head slightly to look over to where Darren had sat down. "We both had feelings for each other, but neither one of us were brave enough to say anything. We were too afraid that the other person wouldn't feel the same way."

"Mothers always know," Grace just smiled. "We notice things that not everyone else does. Like, for instance, I've noticed how much happier you look now than you did the last time that I saw you. I can tell that you are falling in lo-"

"Don't say that word!" I cut her off more sharply than I intended to. She looked at me with surprise.

"Why not?" she asked gently.

"Because..." I sighed. "Because it's a word that really means something. Before we started dating, sure, I would totally say that I... _loved_ him... but now that we are dating... the word just feels so much more important... like it should be saved until I'm totally sure that I am in love with him. Sure, it feels like I am sometimes, but how do I know that that's not just infatuation? How do I know if I really _love_ him? And how does he know if he really loves me?"

"You will just know," Grace replied softly, placing a comforting hand over mine. "There will be a moment, Kaley, when you realize that you cannot live without your special someone, that you would rather die than be separated from them. Trust me, Kaley, when or if you fall in love with him, you will just _know_."

"It just feels so confusing sometimes," I sighed.

"Love is confusing," she chuckled. "It is one of the most complicated, confusing, frustrating, but yet greatest emotions that you can ever experience. It was the best thing that could have ever happened to me when I met and fell in love with my husband."

Behind me the bell on the door chimed.

"_Leah_!" Talia exclaimed, drawing my attention over to her. She quickly jumped up from the table where she had been sitting beside Darren and ran over to the door where she quickly tackled the person who had just walked in.

"Hi, Talia," Leah laughed. She was no stranger to this place either. Leah used to come with me here a lot before she started working backstage for shows, but it had been quite a while since she had last visited.

"Ohmygosh! _Chris Colfer_!" Talia exclaimed, quickly tackling the person with Leah.

"Oh, hello there, ummm, Talia?" Chris looked to Leah for confirmation of her name. Leah just laughed and nodded.

"_Talia_," there was a warning tone to Grace's voice.

"But it's Chris Colf-" Talia started to object.

"Talia!" Grace cut her off sharply. "Do you need to go to your room?"

"No," Talia pouted, stepping away from Chris.

"It's alright," Chris smiled, crouching down so that he was at eye level with her. "I happen to really like hugs. I would love another one, if that's okay with you?" Talia's eyes lit up as she threw her arms around him. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a tight squeeze, slowly picking her up and swinging her around playfully. Squeals of joy filled the small shop.

_He would make a great dad,_ I thought to myself as I watched him interact with Talia. He was so kind and gentle with her. I turned my attention on Leah for a moment and noticed that her eyes were glimmering with adoration. Just by that look, I could tell that she clearly shared my unspoken thoughts about Chris.

Chris gently set Talia back down and stood back up, slightly ruffling her hair as he straightened himself. Talia let out another small squeal of delight as she took his hand and pulled him over to the counter where Grace and I were standing.

"Grandma, can I show Chris my room?" Talia asked excitedly. "I want him to see my posters!" Grace started to object, but Chris just smiled and waved her concern away.

"I would _love _to see your room, Talia!" Chris told her.

"Yay!" Talia exclaimed, quickly pulling Chris through a door in the back. I could picture her dragging him upstairs to her room, where her walls were covered with all of the _Glee_ cast members, especially Darren and Chris.

"You'd better be careful, Leah," I said teasingly as she leaned up against the counter beside me, staring off at the door that they had just left through. "It looks like Talia might be stealing your man away!"

"He's not my man," Leah rolled her eyes at me.

"Liar," I smirked. She shot me a quick glare, squinting her eyes at me in annoyance, to which I just stuck my tongue out at in reply.

"You're a dork!" she laughed, shoving me playfully.

"But I'm your dork, so it's okay," I laughed as well.

"Oh my gosh, are those the _StarKids_?!" Leah exclaimed suddenly, finally noticing the people seated over by the window.

"Yep," I nodded, smiling as I looked over at them.

Darren, Joey, and Brian looked like the were in the middle of a heated discussion, while Bonnie, Jaime, and Lauren were all lounging in their chairs, eating their ice creams and laughing about something. Joe Walker had his full attention on my Joe, who was animatedly talking about something, probably one of the shows that he had watched. There was a good chance that he was talking to him about his role as _Voldemort_ in the _AVPM_. He was one of Joe's favourite actors/characters in that show.

"They came up to see Darren in the show," I explained, turning back to look at Leah.

"Man, I am so jealous of you sometimes!" Leah exclaimed, shoving me playfully again. "You're dating Darren, the entire _Glee_ cast loves you, and now you're friends with the _StarKids_! That is so not fair!"

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "The entire cast loves you too, especially Chris, who has literally almost replaced me as your best friend, and you will be friends with the _StarKids_ too! I just met them, but they've already accepted me as one of their own... and Joe as well, from the looks of it." I snuck a glance back over at Joe, who was staring at his name-sharing idol with a look of awe as he listened to him talk.

"I can't believe that this has become our life!" Leah sighed dreamily. "My only wish is that this two weeks didn't have to end..."

Leah's comment startled me. What would happen once the show ended? Would Darren and I stay together? Would Chris still talk to Leah? Would they just up and leave and go back to Los Angeles, or would they still come visit us? Or would we visit them? Or _could_ we visit them?

These new thoughts were starting to hurt my head.

"I'll be back," I said as I walked towards the door. "I need some air." I didn't wait for their response. I just walked out the door, the bell softly chiming with my exit. I looked around the quiet street, once again thankful for how secluded this place was. There weren't any benches nearby, so I just sat down on the curb and put my head in my hands.

A couple minutes passed before he found me there.

"Are you okay?" Darren asked, sitting down on the curb beside me.

"Just a small headache," I lied. Well, it wasn't a total lie. My head did hurt a bit.

"Kaley," I felt his hand touch my chin, turning my face towards his. "What's wrong?" His big, hazel eyes seemed to pierce right through mine, like as if he was staring into my soul.

"What will happen?" I finally sighed, turning my head away from him. "What will happen once your show ends? What will happen to _us_?"

"Kaley, look at me," his voice was soft but commanding. I slowly turned my head back to him, though I couldn't find the courage to look at him. "Kaley, please, look at me." My eyes slowly looked up at him, meeting his piercing eyes once again. "Kaley, I _just_ got you. I'm not going to let you go that easily... Unless you want me too..."

"No!" I exclaimed slightly louder than I intended to. I quickly clamped my hands over my mouth and looked down again.

"I'm not going to leave you, Kaley," Darren said softly, tilting my head back up again. "I promise." As if to prove it, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on my lips.

"LA is only a plane ride away," he continued as he pulled away. "I can come back to visit you here and you can come visit me there. We will make this work, Kaley. I _want _this to work." I couldn't help the smile that was forming on my lips.

"How do you always know the perfect thing to say to make me feel better?" I asked with a light laugh.

"It's a talent," he shrugged as a huge grin spread across his lips. "We should probably get back in there before they come looking for us." He slowly got up and held out his hand to me. "Come on, let's go get you some ice cream." I smiled as I took his hand and he quickly helped me to my feet, pulling me into a hug as he did so.

"But this time," he grinned, placing a light kiss on the top of my head. "I'm paying."

* * *

**Darren's POV**

I flopped down on my bed, laying my head back against the pillows, and reflected on how the day had gone. Having my old friends show up and surprise me like that had totally made my day. I was so glad that they had gotten the chance to meet Kaley and that she had gotten to meet them.

_I guess that I can check 'Meet the _StarKids_' off the Bucket List of things for me and Kaley to do,_ I chuckled to myself. I was thrilled by how much my friends had liked Kaley. They had instantly welcomed her in as if she was one of their own. _Which she kind of is now._

"Well, that was fun," Chris smiled, walking out of the bathroom and crawling into his own bed. "Talia was just adorable. She insisted on showing me _every single_ thing that she owned that was _Glee_ related. And, of course, she had me sign anything that had my name or face on it, but I honestly didn't mind. She was just too cute and I couldn't say no to her!"

"I'm glad that you had fun," I told him with a smile. "It certainly was an _interesting _and _thought-provoking_ day."

"Oh?" Chris tilted his head questioningly at me. "How so?"

"Kaley brought up the fact that the show going to end soon..." I sighed, running my fingers through my hair, breaking through the hardened gel. "And she asked me what was going to happen to us once it did end. Chris, I don't want to lose her, but long distance relationships are never easy and don't always work out..."

"That's why they invented _Skype_," Chris laughed. "And texting and emails and telephones and-"

"Ok, I get it," I laughed. "I'm just saying that it will be hard not getting to see her every day."

"You'll make it work," Chris replied, yawning slightly. "If you want it to, you will make it work. I know that I'm not going to break off my friendship with Leah just because we're in different states. Leah's a part of my life now. There's no way that I could stop our relationship because of such a petty thing like a bit of distance. We're going to make it work, just like you and Kaley will."

"You're right," I smiled, feeling more relaxed.

"Aren't I always?" he remarked playfully, yawning again. "I'm beat. I'm going to sleep. Good night!"

"Night, Chris," I replied as he flicked off the light by his bed. I quickly turned off my light too so that he could get to sleep before I snuggled down under my blankets and returned to my thoughts.

_We will make it work,_ I decided as Chris' deep, sleep-filled breaths filled my ears. _We have to. Because I'm not going to lose her. I don't think that I could __**bear **__to be without her. _


	38. Chapter 38: Smooth Criminal

_Hey guys! I finally managed to find time to finish this chapter! I think that you are really going to enjoy this one! :-p _

_Thank you and welcome to all of my new followers:_**_ AmyRodgers_**_, **amanecerita83**, **worki****ngminds**, & **twistedabomination**. _

_Thank you to everyone who added this story to your favourites: **workingminds**, __**amanecerita83**_, **TheawesomeGayKidYouWantToBe**, **The Red Crayon**, & **_AmyRodgers_**.  


_And of course a huge THANK YOU to all of my lovely reviewers: **Daisy.R.O**, **grace cairney**, **jazzhandz**, **iluvklainebows**, **SaveT****heLastDance4Me**, **The Red Crayon**, ** mariannemarks1**, **kawaii01**, **nomorecandles**, **Liveforblueandredties**, **Britgleek**, & **AmyRod****gers**. It is your wonderful comments that keep me going! :) Seriously guys, your words really do encourage me to continue to write. I love how much you guys love this story :)  
_

_One last note before I let you read. I wrote a new one shot that is another RL Darren fanfic. It's called **Just A Little Dare** and ya... It was just an idea that popped into my head one day and so I started writing and then suddenly there was a short story in front of me. I'd love it if you guys would check it out and let me know what you think of it :)  
_

_I hope that you enjoy this new chapter! It's a good one! :-p  
_

* * *

Chapter 38 ~ Smooth Criminal**  
**

**Kaley's POV**

"No! No! No!" Chris exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. "It's _step_, jump, turn, _step_, jump, turn!"

"Come on, Kaley!" Leah teased. "It's not that hard!"

"Speak for yourself!" I grumbled. "Need I remind you that I am the _Finn Hudson_ of our group? I _can't _dance!"

"We should go steal Cory's shirt for you," Leah giggled. "That'll give anyone near you a fair warning about your dancing skills."

"Or lack of," Chris joined in her giggles.

"Oh, you guys are just _hilarious_!" I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes at them.

"I was being serious," Leah replied, her face suddenly dropping to a very serious expression.

"I know where you sleep," I glared at her.

"Oh no, Leah!" Chris gasped loudly, dramatically clinging onto her side as he hitched his leg up seductively in front of her, which Leah quickly caught in her hand to help hold it there. "She's onto us!"

I had to struggle not laugh. I was mad at them and I didn't want to even crack a smile, but I could feel the corners of my mouth start to twitch. I knew that I had to get away from them. I couldn't let them see me smile.

I quickly turned and walked out the door.

"Where are you going?" Leah called out after me.

"To find Darren!" I replied without looking back. Once I was sure that I was out of their line of sight, I allowed the smile to form on my lips. It was impossibly hard to stay even fake mad at my friends.

_Well, I wouldn't have to get mad at them if they would stop criticizing my dancing!_ I argued with myself as I continued walking down the hall. Chris had been teaching us the exact choreography for _Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead_, which looked relatively simple, but was apparently not as easy as we thought... Or rather as I thought. Leah was having no trouble at all picking up the choreography quickly. I may have been the stronger singer of the two of us, she was most definitely the stronger dancer. I couldn't dance to save my life.

_I'll have to get Darren to help me learn it,_ I decided as I got closer to the hair and makeup department where Darren was most likely getting what he called 'Blaineified'. _That way I can show those two up the next time that they want to do that song. _

"Knock, knock!" I called out as I peeked into the room. Darren looked up at me through the mirror's reflection and smiled.

"Hey, Kales," he grinned, his eyes locking on mine.

"Oh, so _you're _Kaley!" the short, auburn haired woman who was slicking back Darren's thick curls smiled. "We've heard so much about you!" She gestured to the two other women in the room, a tall blonde and deeply tanned brunette.

"Kaley, this is Zayna," Darren said, noticing the surprised look on my face. "And that's Camille and that's Laura. They are like my wizard gods. I come in as Darren Criss and magically leave as Blaine Anderson."

"It's nice to meet you," I smiled politely at all of them, trying not to laugh at Darren's unique choice of words. Every so often, I'd catch him referencing something from one of his _StarKid _shows, though the number of times had started to increase dramatically since his surprise visit from his old show mates the previous day.

"Such a charmer, isn't he?" Zayna laughed. "You've got yourself a good catch here with this one!" She gave me a playful wink as she continued working on Darren's hair.

"He is," I smiled, leaning up against the door frame. "I got lucky with this one."

"You mean I got lucky," Darren grinned, making me laugh.

"Ever the charmer," I laughed. "How much longer till you're done being 'Blaineified'?"

"He's done," Zayna answered, sliding her hand one last time over his now slickly gelled hair. "Tada! May I present to you, Blaine Warbler!" Darren stood up and turned towards me, holding his hands out as if to say 'Well? What do you think?' I grinned as I walked over and wrapped him arms around his neck, going up on my tippy toes to place a light kiss on his lips.

"You look _amazing_, Blaine Warbler," I grinned, pulling away slightly to look him in the eyes.

"_Eww_! _Girl cooties_!" Darren exclaimed, pushing me away slightly as he wiped his lips with the back of his hand. "Where's Kurt? I need to get this girl taste out of my mouth stat!" I let my mouth drop open with a shocked and offended expression as I stepped away from him.

"Fine, no more kisses for you then!" I huffed, turning to leave. But he wouldn't let me, quickly grabbing my arm and pulling me back into his embrace again.

"Wait, maybe I was wrong," he teased, nuzzling his nose against mine. "Maybe this ex-Warbler isn't gay. Maybe we should try that kiss again..." He slowly leaned down and pressed his lips against mine, sending a wave of butterflies crashing through my stomach. No matter how many times we kissed, I still got jittery whenever it happened.

I slowly closed my eyes as he deepened the kiss. I loved the taste of his mouth and couldn't get enough of it. But then, his lips were suddenly gone. I slowly opened my eyes to give him a questioning look. He just grinned at me, his eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Yep, I'm _definitely _gay!" he declared. "One hundred percent gay!"

"Jerk!" I exclaimed, shoving him away, or rather attempting to. But he was too strong for me and kept me locked in his embrace. When I realized that I wasn't getting away from him, I crinkled my nose and glared at him, sticking out my tongue in a very childish manner.

"Better keep that in your mouth," Darren warned playfully. "I'm not afraid to bite!"

"I dare you to!" I retorted, just as playfully.

"_Ahem_!" someone coughed, alerting us to the fact that we were still standing in the room with the three older women.

"Opps," I could feel my cheeks starting to turn fifty shades of red. Camille just shook her head, a smile on her face, while both Laura and Zayna struggled to suppress their laughter.

"I believe this is why people use the term 'get a room'," Zayna teased.

The comment was innocent enough, but it suddenly made me uncomfortable, as it reminded me of James' comment from a couple nights ago. Just the thought of him made me shudder. He had been giving me weird looks since that night, staring at me for uncomfortably long periods of time.

I didn't bother mentioning it to Darren because I knew that it would upset him and I didn't want to do anything to jeopardize the show again. I did not like seeing Ryan's angry side and did not want to have to see it again.

"Come on," Darren said, pulling me out of my dark thoughts as he led me towards the door. "Let's go 'get a room'." This resulted in the laughter of the three ladies as we walked out the door.

"See ya later!" Darren called back over his shoulder. "Thanks again, Zayna!"

"Any time!" she called back.

"So where are we _really _off to?" I asked once we were out of earshot.

"I don't know," he chuckled. "I just thought that it might be nicer for us to have a bit of privacy when you're trying to sway my sexuality."

"Oh, you still need swaying?" I laughed, stopping and turning towards him. "Perhaps you need a bit more persuasion..."

"Yes, please," he grinned as I pressed my lips to his again. But alas, our kiss was interrupted yet again.

"_Kaley_!" a familiar, high voice exclaimed. "Are you flirting with ma man?!"

"Sorry, Kurt," I grinned, stepping away from his 'boyfriend' and turning to look at him. "I just couldn't help myself." I struggled not to laugh at Chris' stance when my eyes fell on him. His hands were on his hips, which were jutted out slightly, and he had a very jealous, unamused expression on his face as he glared at me.

"Alright, but I better not catch you two agai-" he started to say.

"Baby, where'd you go?" a messy haired Leah suddenly appeared beside him. "Come back to bed, love." She grabbed his arm as if to pull him away.

"Kurt, who's this?" Darren/Blaine demanded from beside me.

"I, umm, this is, uh," Chris/Kurt stuttered, panic and guilt flashing through his eyes.

"I'm his one true love," Leah answered for him, suddenly turning him towards herself and planting one right on his lips. Darren/Blaine and I both gasped at the sight. Leah suddenly pulled away, unable to contain her laughter anymore.

"I can't believe I just did that!" she exclaimed, hiding her face behind her hands.

"I can't believe that you just did that!" I laughed. Beside me, I could feel Darren relax, the charade having been broken.

"I couldn't help it," Leah giggled. "I was consumed by my love for Chris Colfer!"

I felt a sudden twist in my stomach. How easily she said that word, _love_. I snuck a quick glance over at Darren. When would I be ready to say that word to him? To say it and truly mean it? Was I already ready? Or did I still need time to figure out how I really felt?

_I wonder how he feels,_ the thought flickered across my mind. _When will he be ready to say the 'L' word? Will he ever be ready? _These thoughts made my stomach churn uncomfortably.

_I'm not ready to think about that yet,_ I decided, lacing my fingers through Darren's and giving his hand a light squeeze. _I just hope that when I am ready, he'll be ready too.  
_

* * *

**Darren's POV **

I refused to stop teasing Chris about his kiss with Leah for the rest of the day.

"You know, it was really such a _coincidence _that her hair happened to be messy like that right as we were fooling around," I grinned at him. "Or maybe there was more _fooling around_ going on than we thought." Chris' cheeks flushed with heat at my comment, making me wonder if my joke was actually more serious than I thought.

"Leah and I are _just _friends!" Chris argued, hanging his clothes from the first show back up on the rack in his dressing room. They were all freshly washed and ready for the next show that started in half an hour.

We unfortunately didn't get much time to hang out with the girls because they had too many jobs they had to get finished before the next show started and, according to Leah, we were being a distraction to them. I secretly thought that Leah was more so implying that I was the distraction, as Kaley and I kept sneaking glances at each other from across the room. Finally, Leah had had enough and kicked us out.

"We aren't going to be able to get all of our work done if you keep distracting us!" she had scolded as she shooed us out the door. Kaley just gave me a shrug that said, "Sorry, she's the boss. What she says goes." So, unwillingly, we had left, deciding to go practise our songs to help pass the time.

"Curtain in twenty!" someone called out as they passed by the door.

"We should probably get out there," Chris said, still avoiding my gaze.

_Why?_ I wondered. _Is it because I'll see the guilt in his eyes?_ I snickered to myself at the thought of Chris secretly having feelings for Leah. It was a crazy idea! ...right?

"Alright," I nodded, following him out the door after quickly peeking into my own room to double check that my outfit was ready for the next number.

"Watch it, _fairy_!" I heard someone snap as I exited the room. I looked down the hallway to where Chris had stopped and felt a flare of anger flash through me as I saw who had spoken.

"_James_," I growled, quickly hurrying over to them. Chris' back was against the wall, like as if he had been shoved against it, while James stood in front of him with a threatening stance.

As soon as he heard my voice, James turned towards me and scowled.

"Oh, of course!" he exclaimed wickedly. "Here comes your _dashing prince_, here to save the day, as always! Come to help your _Fairy Princess_, _Lover Boy_?"

"Don't talk to him like that!" I snapped, grabbing the front of his shirt by the collar and shoving him up against the wall.

"It's so amusing to see you get mad, _Pretty Boy_," James chuckled, indifferent to the fact that I had him pinned against the wall. "It's no wonder why you've never been able to keep a girlfriend! I wonder how long it'll take Kaley to wise up and dump your sorry-"

"Shut it!" I growled, pushing him harder against the wall. "You stay away from her and from Leah and you stay away from Chris!"

"You think I'm intimidated by you?" James scoffed, an amused laugh slipping from his lips. "You know you can't hit me. If you did, all I'd need to do is go running to Ryan. You've already got a couple strikes against you. What do you think Ryan would say if he found out that you were abusing your power over another employee? Or have you already forgotten about how you treated Kaley on her first day here? No, I don't think Ryan would be impressed at all."

He flashed a wicked grin at me, making me even more angry because I knew he was right. I couldn't lay a finger on him unless I wanted to risk losing my job.

"Kaley was right," I said, letting go and stepping away from him. "You're not worth it. Come on, Chris. We've gotta get to the stage." Without saying another word, I quickly turned and walked away. My fists clenched at my sides as I struggled to control my anger.

"I'm not done with you, freaks!" James called out after us. "We're far from done!"

"Tell that to someone who cares!" Chris snapped back. I glanced over at him and caught the slight grin on his face, which made me smile too. It appeared that Chris was proud of his sharp comeback.

"Hey, Dare!" Kaley was suddenly in my arms as we reached the stage door. "Break a leg! Last show of the day! Then maybe a movie at our place tonight?" An even bigger grin spread across my lips. We hadn't actually been to their place yet. We'd dropped them off, but we'd never been inside.

"Sounds like a plan," I replied.

"Everything okay?" she asked suddenly, giving me a concerned look. I gently unclenched my fists and smiled.

"Just troublesome people being idiots," I replied, gently cupping her face with my hand. "But I know what will make me feel better." Kaley smiled, knowing what I implied, and quickly tilted her head up so that I could lean down and kiss her. But just seconds before our lips touched, she pulled away, stepping back out of my arms.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she smirked. "Did you want something?" I couldn't help but grin at her adorableness.

"Come here!" I laughed, stepping forward to grab her. She quickly ducked under my arms, alluding me again.

"What's the magic word?" she grinned playfully.

"Please?" I pouted my lip slightly and gave her puppy dog eyes.

"Errrrr! Wrong!" she shook her head, still grinning.

"Pretty please?" I batted my eyes at her and stuck my lip out a little further, as I slowly began inching closer to where she was standing.

"Getting warmer," she teased, crinkling her nose slightly at me. "Only one more guess!"

"How about... _Gotcha_!" I quickly closed the gap between us and caught her in my arms, locking her in a tight embrace. I grinned triumphantly as I looked down at my trapped captive before leaning down and nuzzling my nose against hers.

"Gotcha!" I whispered playfully.

"You win," she sighed, though her lips still held a small grin. "You can claim your prize." Smiling, I quickly leaned down and gently pressed my lips against hers.

"Feeling better now?" she asked when I pulled away.

"Much better," I smiled, slowly letting her go as I moved to pass through the door. " I need to get out on stage now. I'll see you after, okay?"

"I'll be waiting," her soft answer slipped into my ears as I turned away, making me smile.

Once through the door, I quickly got my mic checked one last time before taking my spot centre stage. I took a deep breath as the curtain slowly started to open and the music started to play. The roaring screams of hundreds of adolescent girls quickly filled my ears and I slowly looked up and smiled as a rush of adrenaline filled me.

_Man, I love that feeling!  
_

* * *

**Kaley's POV **

Time passed a lot quicker than I expected it to, and suddenly the show was nearly over.

"They're on _Need You Now_," Leah confirmed, walking back into the room. "Only eight more songs till they're done! Oh and speaking of done..." The buzzer suddenly went off on the washing machine, signalling that it was ready to be switched over.

"At the rate that we're going, we won't have too much to do once the show's over," I grinned, folding the white _Born This Way_ t-shirt that was in my hands.

_Can't Dance_. I read the words printed on the shirt, rolling my eyes at the irony.

"_Leah_!" Chris' frantic voice preceded him into the room. When he entered himself, he looked just as frantic as he sounded.

"Chris, what's wrong?" Leah asked, instantly at his side.

"My sai!" Chris huffed, slightly out of breath. "I can't find my sai _anywhere _and I have to go on in like a minute! I swear they were in my dressing room but now I can't find them!"

"Did someone else pick them up for you?" I suggested, setting the shirt down and walking over to him as well.

"No," Chris shook his head. "Everyone knows that no one touches them but me or Jack, and Jack doesn't have them and neither do I!"

It took me a moment to realize who Jack was. He was the one who would bring Chris' sai out to him on stage during his _I'm The Greatest Star_ performance. Chris did not trust many people with his sai since they belonged to him personally and, after learning that Jack had experience with them, Chris had chosen him to handle them for him.

"Ok, take a deep breath and tell me when you last saw them," Leah said softly, attempting to calm him down.

"Last time I remember seeing them was before I left my room before the first Act," Chris replied after a moment's thought. "I didn't bother to check for them until now because I was too busy changing to notice."

"All performers for _We Are Young_ to the stage now, please," a voice announced over the speaker system.

"Leah, what do I do?" Chris' eyes widened with panic. "I've never done my number without them!"

"Relax, Chris!" Leah said, moving him towards the door. "Me and Kaley will find them, okay? You need to get onstage. We'll find them, Chris. I _promise_." Chris gave Leah one last hard look before nodding and turning towards the door.

"Okay," he sighed. "I trust you, Leah." And then he was gone.

"We've got to find those sai," Leah exclaimed softly. "_Now_."

"Ok, let's check his room again," I suggested as we hurried down the hallway to his room. We tore through everything as quickly as we could, but had no luck.

"What are you doing?" Darren's voice suddenly asked from the doorway.

"Looking for Chris' sai," I answered, not looking at him. "They're missing!"

"Oh!" Darren exclaimed softly. He knew how much Chris' sai meant to him. "Let me get changed and then I'll come help you look. I bet some idiot accidentally moved them and didn't tell anyone." I heard the door close to the room next to Chris' and knew that Darren had left.

"Dang it!" Leah cursed suddenly. I looked up at her in surprise. "If he's back here, that means they're already on to Chris' song! We're running out of time! Think! Where would they be?"

"That's it!" I suddenly exclaimed, Darren's words quickly connecting in my mind. "Darren said that they had had some trouble with an idiot before the show. Who do we know that would have a problem with Chris?"

"James," her response was instantaneous and filled with anger. She bolted out the door and I quickly followed her.

"Where are they?" Leah demanded, bursting into the green room. I was a few steps behind her, but I could still hear every word.

"I was wondering when you'd show up," James chuckled. "Took you longer than I expected to clue in though."

"James, give me his sai," Leah snapped. By this time I had reached the door, stopping just outside it as I looked at the scene in the room. James had his back to me and the doorway and was slowly advancing on Leah, who held her hand out, waiting for him to turn over the sai to her.

"What, these?" James laughed, holding out the sai. Leah moved to take them from him, but he quickly moved them behind his back, out of her reach.

"Nuh uh uh!" he grinned, wagging a finger at her. "You want them? Well I want something too. Something that you owe me." He tapped his lips seductively.

"Screw you!" Leah yelled, attempting to grab the sai again.

"Everything has a price, Leah," he laughed. "If you want these, you're going to have to pay."

"We don't have time for this!" I exclaimed, quickly moving into the room and snatching the sai from his hands. He turned around, with a look of surprise on his face.

"Go, Kaley!" Leah snapped. "Run! Chris needs those _now_!" With a quick nod, I turned and bolted out the door. I could hear Leah's footsteps behind me as we ran down the hall and towards the stage door. I stopped suddenly and shoved the sai into Leah's hands.

"I can't go onstage," I said, pushing open the door for her. "My outfit will pull focus. You won't. You're wearing black." Leah quickly glanced at both of our outfits and, realizing that I was right, nodded and bolted through the door.

Onstage, Chris was singing his heart out, though I knew his heart must be pounding.

_I can make 'em cry!_

_I can make 'em sigh!_

_Someday they'll clamour for my drama  
_

I watched from the wings as Leah quickly, but yet slowly hurried onto the stage, just in time to pass the sai off to Chris.

_Have you guessed yet!  
_

She placed the sai in his hands and a quick look of relief flashed across his face. He smiled as he turned back towards the audience and continued his song, proceeding to do cool tricks with the sai in his hands as he did so.

_Who's the best yet?_

_If ya ain't, I'll tell ya one more time_

_You'll bet your last dime_

_In all of the world so far_

_I am the greatest, greatest_

_Staaaaaaaaar!  
_

The music ended and the audience cheered like crazy. Chris smiled at them before hurrying offstage, while Lea, Heather, Jenna, Amber, and Dianna took his place onstage to sing the next song.

"_Thank you_!" Chris exclaimed, crushing Leah in a hug. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Where did you find them?"

"Actually-" Leah started but I quickly cut her off.

"Someone moved them that wasn't supposed to, but we were able to figure out where they'd been moved and got them to you as quickly as we could," I replied quickly, earning myself a questioning look from Leah. "And it looks like it was just in time too."

"Yeah," Chris grinned. "I was about to have a heart attack on stage until Leah walked out with them. I had never been more happy to see you in all my life!"

"Never?" she frowned, stepping away from him.

"You know what I mean," Chris laughed, pulling her back to his side as he started moving more backstage. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go get changed!" He quickly left us, but not before throwing another ten thank yous our way.

"Why did you do that?" Leah demanded as we returned to the laundry room. "Why didn't you tell him that it was James who took his sai?"

"Because," I sighed. "There's already enough bad air between them and if Darren were to find out, then I'd be afraid that he'd lose it on him."

"Would that really be such a bad thing?" Leah remarked with a slight grin.

"Yes, Leah, it would," I sighed. "Darren's still on Ryan's bad side so he has to tread carefully. Remember, Ryan is his boss, so he can legally fire Darren whenever he wants."

"But aren't they signed onto a contract or something for the show?" Leah argued.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I've never had a contract, so how would I know? I just don't want to take that risk, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess," Leah sighed. "But I'm not happy about it. I'd personally love to see James get what's coming to him, especially if it's a punch in the face. I think he's well over due for one of those." She grinned, to which I just rolled my eyes, but she finally succeeded in getting a small chuckle out of me as well. The image of James getting punched in the face was one that I _highly_ approved of.

* * *

**Darren's POV **

The moment the curtains closed, I wanted to book it back to the laundry room to see Kaley. Chris had told me what Kaley had said, but I didn't believe a word of it, especially since I had heard her and Leah talking through the door when they had figured out where Chris' sai were.

_Why would she lie about that?_ I wondered as I headed towards the stage door.

"One moment, everyone!" Ryan's voice suddenly called out, making us stop. "Meeting in the green room in ten minutes! And don't be late! In other words, go change and then get your butts to the green room!"

_Dang it!_ I inwardly cursed. My questions would have to wait. Once I got to my dressing room, I quickly texted Kaley and let her know that Chris and I had to go to a meeting so we might be a little while, knowing how Ryan liked to talk.

I quickly changed and made my way to the green room, finding an empty seat between Chris and Lea. On Lea's other side sat Cory, who kept exchanging quick, seemingly unnoticeable glances with her.

_Maybe Chris is onto something about them being an item, _I smiled to myself as I sat down. Feeling a buzz in my pocket, I smiled, quickly looking at Kaley's response.

Kaley 3: _Alright :) don't be too long! We want to make popcorn for the movie tonight! :) _

Darren: _Yum! Can't wait!  
_

"Phones off and eyes up here!" Ryan's voice suddenly silenced the room. With a sigh, I reluctantly slid my phone back into my pocket as Ryan began his dull, and probably unnecessary speech about things that we could fix for the next show.

I quickly zoned out as he continued talking. An image of Kaley cuddled up beside me, a bowl of popcorn on her lap and a smile on her face quickly filled my mind and I found myself smiling, wishing that Ryan would hurry up and finish so that I could go cuddle with my girl. I liked the sound of that. My girl.

_Kaley is my girl,_ I smiled. _My only girl.  
_

* * *

**Kaley's POV **

"Are they done yet?" Leah asked for the third time. I rolled my eyes at her.

"Darren hasn't texted me back yet, so no, they're probably not," I replied with a shrug. "As soon as they're out, they'll let us know."

"Fine," Leah huffed, turning back to the clothes that she was folding. Suddenly, my phone started buzzing on the table where I had set it down.

"They're done!" Leah exclaimed, jumping up happily as I picked up the phone.

"No, it's my dad," I laughed, flipping the phone open to answer the call, knowing very well why he might be calling.

"Hi, dad," I said into the phone.

"Hi, sweetie," I could hear the smile in his voice. "How are you?"

"I'm good," I rolled my eyes at Leah. He was going to start with the typical questions and work his way up to what he really wanted to talk about.

"I'm gonna take this outside," I mouthed to Leah, covering the phone slightly. She nodded and I quickly turned away and left the room.

"So how are things back home?" I asked, pushing open the exit door that lead outside. "And how's mom?"

"Things are good," he replied. "And your mother is doing well. She had a bit of a surprise the other day when she went to the grocery store though."

Here it was.

"Oh?" I replied, playing along.

"Yes, apparently she saw her daughter's picture on the front of several magazines when she was at the check out," his voice was growing more serious. "Care to explain?"

"It just happened, dad," I sighed, running my fingers back through my hair. "I was going to tell you guys as soon as I knew if it was serious or not."

"Well," he replied. "Is it?"

"I-I-" I was at a loss for words. Was it serious? I was beginning to think it was... I hoped it was.

"I think so," I replied after a moment, smiling slightly. "Daddy, he makes me feel so special. I really care about him. He's... He's like no one I've ever dated before. When I'm with him, it just feels... right. I think... I think that I'm falling in love with him." There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Dad?" I said softly. "Daddy?"

"He hasn't made you... _do _anything, has he?" his voice was quiet, almost as if he was afraid of the answer.

"No, Daddy," I replied. "He's a real gentleman. We've never ventured any further than kissing and I know that he'll respect my wishes if things move further. I stand by the promise I made, Dad. I will stay pure until I'm married. I would never give myself away to anyone, no matter how famous or good looking they may be."

"I always knew that I raised a smart girl," I could hear the relief and pride in his voice, which made me smile.

"I had a smart daddy," I grinned. "I love you, Daddy. I miss you and Mom so much."

"We miss you too, sweetie," he cooed. "Remember, you can come visit us at any time. We're just a plane ride away."

"I know," I nodded, though I knew that he couldn't see me. "Maybe I'll have to make a special trip up soon so that you can meet Darren."

"We'd love that," he replied.

"I should probably get going," I said, rubbing my arm slightly. I had forgotten to grab my jacket and it was a little chilly outside. "I have to help Leah finish the laundry for tomorrow."

"Alright, sweetie," he sighed. I could tell that he was reluctant to say goodbye. It was not easy for them having their baby live so far away. "You be safe now. We love you."

"I love you guys too," I replied, biting my lip to keep from crying. It was just as hard for me to be so far away from my parents. I really did miss them. "I'll come home for a visit soon, okay?"

"Alright," he said. "Good night, sweetie!"

"Bye, Dad," I said before closing the phone and sliding it back into my pocket.

"Well, wasn't that just so _sweet_!" his voice suddenly sneered behind me, sending an uncomfortable wave of chills running down my spine.

"What do you want, James?" I demanded, turning to face him. He stood in front of the door with a huge, terrible grin on his lips.

"There are many things that I _want_, dear Kaley," he said as he slowly advanced towards me. "But what do I want from you? Oh, there are _so _many things I can think of."

I started taking a couple steps back as he drew closer to me, and suddenly, I felt my back hit something solid. A wall. My eyes darted around wildly for an exit, a way to get away, but James now stood right in front of me, blocking any chance of escape. My eyes darted back towards the door, hoping that someone would come out and help me, but the door stayed shut.

"No one comes out this way," James laughed, noticing where I was looking. "And your _Prince Charming_ is too busy to come to your rescue now. It's just you and me, Kaley." He grinned as he stepped even closer and reached his hand out to stroke my face. I flinched at his touch.

"Don't touch me!" I snapped, slapping his hand away.

"Oh, so feisty!" he exclaimed, leaning closer to whisper in my ear. "I like that."

"Leave me alone!" I shoved him hard, pushing him far enough away from me to make enough room for me to slip past him, which was what I did. Or at least that was what I tried to do.

His hand roughly grabbed my arm, pulling me back and slamming me hard against the wall, slightly knocking the breath out of me.

"I'm not done with you yet," he hissed, pressing me up against the wall, his hand still tightly gripping my arm. "I've barely even begun. You see, Kaley, you took something away from me. You took away my chance to get what I wanted from Leah. What I _deserved_! So now, you're going to give me what I want."

He leaned closer and brushed his lips against my cheek as he whispered in my ear, "Everything has a price, _sweetheart_, and now it's time for you to pay up!"

* * *

_Dun dun duhhhhh! I know I don't usually leave an A/N at the end, but I am on this one because I just wanted to let you guys know that tomorrow is Megan's (the girl that Leah is based off of) birthday and I would love it if you guys could either message her and wish her a Happy Birthday or leave a birthday wish in the comments. She was the one who convinced me to start writing this story, so without her, you guys would have never gotten the chance to read this. She was been such an inspiration to me and I'd love it if you guys could share some love with her. It won't let me link her account, so if you want you can find her account from one of the comments in the reviews. Her name looks like this: **LeahEmmaLynnColfer** except it has periods throughout the name (which is why it won't let me link it, apparently). Or you could say it to her on Twitter at **ActingEqualsLuv**  
_

_Thank you again for your continual love, support, and patience. I have my exams coming up soon, so as soon as those are out of the way, then I will have more time to write :) There is still a lot more to come for these characters so stay tuned! :)  
_


	39. Chapter 39: When I Get You Alone

_Thank you all for being so patient! I am almost all the way through my exams! Only one more to go! :) Still have a couple of essays that I have to finish writing but I'm getting there. But I felt like I had made you guys wait long enough, so here's a new chapter! I was hoping to have been able to have had this done and posted on Monday, which was my birthday, but I guess that this will just have to be a late birthday gift from me to you :) I will do shout outs and answering questions at the end._**  
**

_Enjoy! :)  
_

_**Warning: Very intense chapter with sexual implications/references and violence. You have been warned.**  
_

* * *

Chapter 39 - When I Get You Alone

**Kaley's POV**

"Let go of me!" I snapped, pulling against the tight grip he still had on my arm as I tried to shove him away from me.

"Now why would I do that?" he grinned, forcing my arm back against the wall behind me. "That would ruin all the fun!"

I continued to fight against him, using my free hand to try to shove him away and pry his hand off my arm.

"Oh Kaley, this would be so much easier if you would just stop fighting me," he chuckled, grabbing my free arm and pinning it to the wall as well.

"Stop it!" I cried, my voice edging on tears. "Let me go!" I felt so helpless. He was too strong for me and he knew it.

He took pleasure out of my helplessness, his grin widening maliciously as he dragged my arms up above my head and held them there. One hand wrapped tightly around both of my wrists as they were pressed back against the wall, while the other hand dropped down to trace over my cheek. I instantly flinched away at his touch, making him laugh.

"There are so many things that I want to do to you right now," he whispered, leaning closer to my ear. "That I _can _do to you. You're mine now, Kaley. Mine to do with _however _I please." I shuddered at his words, a slight whimper slipping from my lips as he turned his head slightly to nibble my ear. The action felt so wrong. _This _was wrong.

"_Help_!" I suddenly screamed, slightly startling him. "Help! Please, somebody help me!"

James recovered quickly, clamping his hand down roughly over my mouth, silencing me.

"Shut up!" he hissed, his eyes blazing. He quickly glanced around, hoping that no one had heard me. Once he was satisfied that no one had, he turned back to me with a huge grin.

"See?" he smirked. "No one's coming to save you, Kaley. You are all mine. Mine to kiss, mine to touch, and mine to do so much _more_... I think I know what I want from you first."

He slowly pulled his hand away from my mouth and cupped my cheek with it. He slowly closed his eyes as he leaned down and pressed his lips against mine.

He tasted _awful_.

Darren always tasted sweet when he kissed me, but James just tasted bitter and foul. I instantly turned my head away, breaking away from his lips. James opened his eyes and grinned at me.

"Wasn't that _so _good?" he grinned. "I bet that I'm the only one you'll _ever _want to kiss now, right?" I decided to let him know exactly what I thought of the kiss.

I spat in his face.

"You little _slut_!" he hissed, slapping me hard across the face. "So you'll put out for _gay face_, but not for me?"

"Screw you!" I growled, wincing at the pain in my cheek.

"Gladly," he grinned, his hand reaching down to the zipper on my jeans. My eyes widened in horror as I realized what he was going to do.

_No, please no,_ my mind cried as he fumbled with the zipper. I pulled hard against the hand that still held my hands above my head as I started to scream again.

"Please somebody help me!" I screamed as loud as I could. "Help me! I'm being ra-"

"_Shut up_!" James hissed, clamping his hand down over my mouth again.

_Better that it's up here than down there,_ I told myself.

"Why can't you just do what I want and behave!" he huffed.

_Really? _I gave him a disbelieving look. He was trying to do the dirty deed with me, against my will, and he thought that I wouldn't fight back?

"Stay still!" he demanded as I continued to struggle. "The sooner you stop fighting me, the sooner this will be more pleasurable, for both of us."

_In your dreams,_ I thought as I suddenly bit down on the hand covering my mouth.

"Son of a-" he cursed, whipping his hand away. He took his eyes off of me for a second, but a second was all that I needed. I quickly brought my knee up and slammed it hard into his manhood. The sudden pain to his private parts created enough shock for his grip on my hands to loosen, which I quickly took advantage of, pulling my hands out of his grasp and shoving him hard. He fell to the ground, clutching his parts, and I instantly booked it towards the door. Within seconds, my hand was on the doorknob.

But the door wouldn't open.

"No, please, no!" I cried, simultaneously pounding and tugging in futile on the locked door. "Why won't you open?!"

"I told you that you wouldn't get away from me," he laughed in my ear. A sudden pressure, his hand, locked onto the back of my neck, pulling me away from the door and my only hope of escape. He quickly shoved me to the ground and I hit the pavement hard, my head colliding painfully with the cold concrete. I winced as I slowly turned to look up at him as he towered over me with a triumphant grin. In his hands dangled a set of keys.

"It's one of the perks of working in the theatre," he explained, jingling the keys. "They trust you with the keys to the building. And it's a good thing that I decided to lock the door while you were talking to your dear, sweet _Daddy_. Otherwise, you'd miss out on all the fun we're going to have."

"Stay away from me!" I cried, trying to scramble back away from him, but he just laughed as he quickly dropped down and straddled me, trapping my body to the ground. He continued to laugh as I tried to hit him, easily grabbing my wrists and pinning them down under his knees. Unlike before, this time I knew I was completely trapped. I couldn't move my arms or legs and this time, James had both of his hands free. Free to do whatever he wanted to me.

"Please," I whispered, my voice cracking slightly. "_Don't_."

"Shhhh," he grinned, touching his finger to my lips. "This won't take long. I only want one thing from you, Kaley, and once I take it from you, do you really think that Darren will want you? You'll be damaged goods and I'll be the only one who will want you. And I'll always want you, Kaley. I've wanted this since the day we met." He slowly leaned down and kissed me again, his bitter taste filling my mouth and making me feel sick.

"Don't," I mumbled under his lips. "I don't want this."

"Trust me, Kaley," he grinned as he broke away from the kiss. "You may think that you don't want it, but secretly, you do. And I'm going to help you realize that."

I felt his hands start to fumble with my jeans again and, once he had gotten mine open, he quickly started to open his own. I closed my eyes and turned my head away, a small whimper escaping my throat. I felt something warm run down my cheek and I slowly opened my eyes to see a small red drop hit the ground.

_I'm bleeding,_ I realized in alarm. How hard had I hit my head? I suddenly felt even more nauseous as a dull, thrumming pain filled my head.

_Please let me pass out,_ I prayed. _I don't want to be able to remember any of this. _

I felt his hands starting to tug at my jeans, trying to pull them down.

_Please, God!_ I cried. _Don't let him do this! _

I could feel myself getting more and more lightheaded. Black dots were starting to creep on the edge of my vision.

_Please, God,_ I begged. _Just take me now. Before he does it to me. _

"What the-" a somewhat familiar voice drifted into my ear. It sounded very far away. "Get off of her!" And suddenly, the heavy pressure was gone. I slowly turned my head back to where James was to find him gone. I felt my eyes get heavy as I searched for the despicable man.

_Where did he go?_ I wondered, my gaze slowly traveling around me. And then I spotted him, pressed up against the wall where I had been earlier. Suddenly, he slumped to the ground, having been released by the figure standing in front of him. The figure quickly turned and hurried over to me, dropping down beside me and pulling my head gently into his lap.

"Kaley!" he exclaimed, lightly touching my forehead. "You're bleeding!"

I slowly reached my hand up and touched his face, a smile slowly spreading across my lips.

"_Darren_," I sighed, feeling a moment of security before my vision suddenly blurred.

And then there was darkness.

* * *

**Darren's POV**

"Okay, you may go now," Ryan announced, dismissing us.

"_Finally_!" I whispered to Chris as we stood up and walked out of the room. "I thought that he'd _never _stop talking!"

"I think you're overreacting," Chris laughed. "I bet it just seemed longer because you're so excited to go to the girls' place."

"Aren't you?" I asked. Chris just shrugged in response.

"I've been there before, so I'm probably not as excited or as eager as you are," Chris explained. "Not to say that I'm not excited, cause I am. I just mean that I don't have the same level of excitement since you've never seen the place before so there's an added excitement for you."

"Wait, you've seen their place already?" I exclaimed. "How? When?"

"Well, when you're off with Kaley, I'm usually hanging with Leah," Chris replied nonchalantly. "And we've hung out at her place sometimes since you guys were at the hotel and we wanted to give you guys some privacy."

"Oh," I replied softly. "You know, I'm kinda hurt that you got to see their place before me, you know, since I'm actually _dating _one of them. Or is there something that you need to tell me?"

"You're _relentless_!" Chris exclaimed. "There is _nothing _going on between us! What, can't a guy be friends with a girl without people thinking that they're in a relationship?!"

"My, you're getting quite defensive over this," I teased him, poking his side playfully. "Trying to cover something up?"

"You're _impossible_!" Chris rolled his eyes at me. "Come on, let's go get the girls so we can go to their place and you can satisfy your curiosity."

"What curiosity?" I scoffed.

"Oh, come on!" Chris laughed. "You can't tell me that you've never wondered what Kaley's apartment looks like, what her room looks like, where she slee-"

"Ok, you can stop now!" I cut him off. "I get it, alright? And yes, maybe I have wondered."

Truth be told, I more than wondered. Since the day I had met her, I had pictured many different ways that her room could look. I pictured it bright, full of colour, and then I pictured it dark and mysterious. I pictured what sort of things that she would have in her room... But I would never admit that to Chris.

"Knock, knock!" Chris called out as he tapped on the laundry room door.

"Hey, Chris!" Leah beamed as we walked in. "Hi, Darren. You guys ready to go?"

"Yep," Chris nodded as I glanced around the room.

"Where's Kaley?" I asked.

"Oh, she got a call from her dad, so she went to take it outside..." Leah glanced down at the watch on her finger. "That was like fifteen minutes ago though... I thought that she would have been back by now..."

"I'll go find her," I grinned, turning back to the door. "She probably just got caught up talking to her dad."

"That's going to be _horrible _for her long distance bill!" I heard Leah comment as I slipped through the door.

_It's worth it though, _I smiled to myself as I walked down the hallway. I thought about the countless times that I had spent hours talking to my own parents on the phone. Though I was grown up and living on my own, I still missed my parents, especially since they lived so far away. I made a mental note to myself to go visit them the next time that I had some free time off. _And maybe I could bring Kaley with me to introduce her to them._ The thought made me grin.

"Kaley?" I called out as I walked down the hall.

_Now where did she go?_ I wondered, pulling out my phone to call her. It rang a couple of times before going to her voicemail. _Okay, she can't be on her phone still then, otherwise it would have gone straight to her voicemail... So then where is she? _

A quiet, thumping noise caught my attention. On a whim, I turned and headed in the direction that I thought that the sound had come from. I soon found myself standing before a door, a small exit sign glowing red above it.

_Huh, I didn't know that there was an exit here,_ I thought as I pushed on the door. It didn't open. I looked down and realized that it was locked. Maybe I was just hearing things...

A muffled voice cut off my thoughts.

_Is someone out there?_ I wondered, turning the lock and opening the door. I quickly peeked outside and, at first, I didn't see anything. But then a hushed voice caught my attention and my eyes slowly fell on an odd shape on the ground.

_Is that a person?_ I wondered, stepping out the door, letting it shut softly behind me. I was about to call out to them, to see if they were okay, when something beneath them suddenly moved. A head. A face. _Kaley_'sface. It took me a moment to realize what was happening.

"What the-" I didn't have to finish my question. I knew what he was doing.

"Get off of her!" I yelled, quickly dashing over and ripping him off of her.

"_James_," I hissed as I slammed him up against the wall. "I should have known that it was you!"

"What?" he laughed. "Jealous that I was got to do her first? Because you haven't been able to work your way into her bed yet? Why do you think she was holding that back from you? Because she was saving it for _me_! She may not have realized it yet, but secretly, she and I both know that I'm the one that she really wants."

"Shut up!" I snapped, punching him across the face. "You are a worthless piece crap who wouldn't even deserve someone as pure and beautiful as Kaley!"

"She's not so pure now, is she, _pretty boy_," he grinned, fresh blood oozing through his teeth. "No one wants damaged goods."

"I said _shut up_!" I growled, punching him again. "Kaley is _not _damaged! The only one who's damaged here is _you_! You with your sick, twisted mind!"

"Twisted mind?" he chuckled, clearly not caring about the blood pouring from his split lip. "Kaley's mind is the only one that's twisted if she'd really choose you over me! You're going to be gone by the end of the week, back to the other side of the country! And she's going to be left here without you, all alone and forgotten. Twenty bucks says that you'll forget all about her once you get back to L.A. With all of the pretty women there, who would blame you? And once you're gone, who can Kaley turn to for comfort? Me. Once you're gone, she'll be all mine!"

My anger was boiling inside of me now, threatening to overflow.

"She will _never _be yours!" I yelled, hitting him again. "And I would _never _leave her like that! I _love _her!" My grip on him suddenly loosened as I realized what I had just said. I _loved _her. I _loved _Kaley.

"You love her?" James spat. "You can't lo-"

"I'm done talking to you!" I cut him off as I threw an especially hard punch. I felt his body go limp in my hands as he blacked out and I promptly let his body slump to the ground as I released him.

"Kaley," I exclaimed, turning back to the still form on the ground. "_Kaley_!" I quickly ran over to her, dropping to the ground and moving her head gently onto my lap. Her eyes looked glassy as she stared up at me with confusion.

I moved my hand to brush the hair from her face when I noticed the red liquid dripping down her cheek.

"Kaley!" I exclaimed softly, lightly touching her forehead. "You're bleeding!"

She slowly reached her hand up and touched my face, a small smile slowly spreading across her lips.

"_Darren_," my name slipped from her lips. Her voice sounded almost... happy... relieved. Her eyes suddenly flickered and then closed, her hand going limp and dropping back down to the ground.

"_Kaley_!" I screamed, cupping her face with my hands. "Kaley, no!" Somehow, I managed to find my common sense and checked for a pulse. I breathed a sigh of relief when I found it, though it didn't feel quite right. I quickly but carefully pulled my cell phone out of my pocket, trying hard to not disturb the pale faced girl in my lap. I quickly typed in the three digits and held the phone up to my ear.

"911, what's your emergency?" the voice on the other end asked.

"M-My girlfriend," I stuttered, my voice cracking slightly as tears started to spill down my cheeks. "He tried to... he..."

"Sir, I need you to calm down and take a deep breath," the woman said softly. "What is your name?"

"Darren, Darren Criss," I replied after taking a deep breath. "Please, I need an ambulance. She's bleeding and she won't wake up and please! I can't lose her!"

"Okay, Mr. Criss, it's going to be okay," the woman replied calmly. "What is your location?"

"The R-Radio City M-Music Hall," I replied, gently stroking Kaley's pale face as I took another small breath to calm myself. "We're outside one of the b-back entrances."

"Okay, you're doing great, Mr. Criss," the woman said encouragingly. "You mentioned a he. Is there someone else there?" I quickly glanced up at the still form slumped against the wall.

"Y-Yeah, he's still here," I replied shakily, trying to control the anger that was building in me again. I wanted to kill him for what he did to Kaley. "Can you send the cops too? He-" I took another deep breath. "He sexually assaulted her... He may have..." I couldn't hold back the sob that burst from my lips.

"It's going to be okay, Mr. Criss," the woman said gently. "Where is he now?"

"A-Against the w-wall," I replied, my eyes flickering up to him again. "I k-knocked him out."

"Okay, Mr. Criss, the police and paramedics are on their way," the woman said. "Just sit tight, okay? They'll be there soon."

"O-Okay," I nodded, leaning down and pressing my lips against Kaley's forehead.

"Please wake up," I whispered softly to her. "Please be alright. I can't lose you, Kaley. I can't. I _love _you." One of my tears dripped down onto her face.

"I love you, Kaley Grant. I love you."

* * *

_A/N:_

_I'm evil, aren't I? :-p I hope that you all enjoyed that very intense chapter. I look forward to reading all of your comments :) I predict that there might be some freaking out haha :-p  
_

_Shout outs and thank yous to my new followers: **Blaine Christopher Anderson **& **alicegur****sk**! Welcome to the family! And thank you both for favouriting this story :) It means a lot to me that you like it that much :)  
_

_I just want to take a second to thank all of you for sending Megan happy birthdays :) It certainly helped make her day, so it was a total success! :)  
_

_Alright! Comment response time!  
_

_**grace cairney**: I'm glad that you enjoyed it :) Once I'm completely done with school for the break, I'll have more time to focus on this as well as my other stories :)  
_

_**Britgleek**: I'm sorry! I love a good cliffhanger! :-p And please don't die! I'd miss you :'(  
_

_**AmyRodgers**: Thank you :) I'm glad that you are enjoying it! :)  
_

_**DaisyRO**: Yeah, Chris and Leah are adorable together :-p And no, I can give you my writing ability because then I wouldn't be able to write any more! :-p I don't think your question was a picky or greedy one at all. I do have a few other stories going at the moment, which you can check out by clicking on my profile. As for this story, I already have plans for a sequel and a threequel for it :) So even when this story ends, it will be followed by two others :) And why not look into getting an account? That way you can subscribe and be notified the moment I post a new chapter or a new story :)  
_

_**nomorecandles**: sorry it took so long! But I did get you a new chapter :) ... though I left it with another type of cliffhanger... yeah I'm bad for those :-p  
_

_**iluvklainebows**: I agree! ;p Chreah is smexy! hahaha I love writing their flirtatious romance that's not really a romance romance :-p They are a lot of fun to write for. Unfortunately there wasn't much of them in this chapter, but it was hard to fit them in with what was happening. And yes, Daley bits are the best parts of the whole story :D for sure!  
_

_**Liveforblueandredties**: BREATH! It's going to be okay! ...well... maybe... :-p I'm so evil haha I'm glad that you love Daley :) their relationship means a lot to me. I'm a hopeless romantic who is single unfortunately, so all of my feelings and dreams of what I would want to happen go into the Daley relationship. I think that's why their relationship means so much to me, because it's my dream relationship :) And Kaley's dad convo was tugging on my heart strings ^_^ It needed to happen :)  
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_**Charleygyrl**: hahaha I'm glad you enjoyed it! And me too! Like I said in the comment above, Daley's relationship is like my dream relationship :)  
_

_**Sarah**: Because they are so much fun and keep people wanting more! It's the suspense factor that everyone loves to hate :-p  
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_**Iloveyourface**: ...sorry? :D I can't help it! I love me a good cliffhanger! :-p I loved the feels moment :D It made me giggle like a little school girl :-p  
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_**jennanderton78**: Thank you :D I'm glad that you liked my cliffhanger heehee :-p  
_

_**SplendiferousBowties**: I cannot stress enough how much I LOVE your live reviews! :) They seriously make my day! :D I'm glad that someone caught my fifty shades joke :-p I am so excited to see how you're going to react to this chapter! :-p  
_

* * *

_Did you like this way better than just me saying shout outs and thanks? Do you like me responding better? If you do, then I will continue doing it like this :) Don't be afraid to ask me any questions or anything about the story. I'm happy to answer anything you want to know :)  
_

_Thank you everyone for your continual love and support of this story :) If you haven't already, please go check out some of my other stories, including a new one that I just posted called **Coming Out Of The Closet - Blaine's Story**. I think that you can guess what it's about :-p  
_

_Happy 12-12-12 Day! :) Till next time! Love! xxoo  
_


	40. Chapter 40: Need You Now

Chapter 40 - Need You Now**  
**

**Darren's POV**

"Heard anything yet?" I looked up at Chris to find him holding out a coffee cup to me.

"Not yet," I sighed, taking the cup from him. "They won't tell me anything because '_I'm not family_'."

"But you're her _boyfriend_!" Chris exclaimed. "You're like the closest thing to family that she has here!"

"I know!" I huffed. "But apparently that's not good enough for them. Stuck up b-"

"Family of Kaley Grant?" a nurse's voice suddenly cut into the room. I looked up at the sound of her voice, my heart skipping a beat when I heard her say Kaley's name.

"Here!" I called out, quickly standing up and moving over to her. Her pale grey eyes looked me over with skepticism, her lips pursing into a frown.

"And what's your relationship to Miss Grant?" the greying haired woman before me asked.

"I'm her boyfriend," I replied anxiously.

"I'm sorry, but I need to speak to a family member," she stated firmly.

"She doesn't have any family in this country," Leah's voice suddenly announced. I looked up to see her walking towards us, a small back pack hanging off her shoulder.

"And you are?" the nurse sighed.

"Leah Tanner," Leah replied bluntly. "Roommate and best friend. We're both from Canada originally, so she has no family anywhere nearby that you can contact. I should be on her emergency call list." The woman looked down at the clipboard in her hands, nodding slowly as she read what must have been Leah's name.

"That will have to do," I heard her mumble softly. She slowly looked back up at us, her eyes flickering back to me briefly with what looked like annoyance before they landed back on Leah.

"You may see Miss Grant then, Miss Tanner," she said. "But _only _you."

"_What_?!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in the air. "Why can't we come?" I gestured towards Chris and myself.

"You are not on Miss Grant's emergency call list, so you do not have authorization to come," she replied emotionlessly. "You may visit Miss Grant during our normal visiting hours."

"Please, can't you just make an exception for me?" I pleaded. "Kaley's my girlfriend and I just need to see her and know that she's okay."

"I'm sorry, but no," she replied sharply before turning to Leah. "Now if you would just follow me please."

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" I exclaimed as she started to lead Leah away.

Leah quickly glanced back at me and mouthed, "I'm sorry," as she followed the grouchy woman away.

"That is freaking bull!" I growled as I walked back over to my seat and dropped down onto it. "I'm her _boyfriend_! I freaking rode here with her and they won't even let me see her?!"

"Someone didn't get enough coffee today," Chris commented, sitting down beside me and taking a sip from his coffee cup. I sighed as I slowly picked up my own coffee cup that I had abandoned when the nurse had walked in.

"Grumpy old bag," I murmured, smirking slightly as I took a sip from the cup.

"Excuse me," a soft voice suddenly said. I looked up to find another nurse, a much younger and sweeter looking one, standing in front of us. Her blonde hair was falling out of the bun that she had pulled it back into and she nervously reached up with a shaky hand to tuck a loose strand behind her ear. Her light green eyes flickered up at me before shyly dropping down again.

"Hi, can we help you?" Chris asked gently.

"Actually, I might be able to help you," she replied with a small smile. "I was passing by and I couldn't help but overhear you talking to Darla. Are you... are you really dating that girl?" She was looking at me with wide, expectant eyes.

"Umm, yes?" I nodded slowly.

"So it's true then," she exclaimed softly. "You really do have a new girlfriend!"

_Oh, she's a fan!_ I suddenly realized. In the chaos of everything that had happened, I had actually forgotten that I was famous.

"Yes," I smiled at her. "I have a new girlfriend. But just because that's true doesn't mean that everything that you read is true. We actually weren't dating when the papers started printing about us. We were just friends and our feelings for each other slowly grew and why am I telling you all of this?" I suddenly blushed as I realized that I was rambling.

"Sorry," I blushed. "It's just things are still new with her, and with her having to deal with all the rumours and haters and now this-"

"Actually that's what I wanted to talk to you about," she smiled. "I can get you into her room, if you want."

"You can?" I exclaimed, my eyes widening as I jumped up.

"Uh huh," she beamed, nodding her head proudly. "Come on, I can take you right to her." She quickly turned and beckoned us to follow her, quickly leading us out of the Waiting Room.

"I'm Alicia, by the way," she told us as we followed her down the hallway.

"And I think that you already know who we are," I grinned back. "Thank you so much for doing this, Alicia. I've been so worried about her and the other lady was being such a jerk and-"

"It's no problem," she laughed. "I'm happy to be able to help you. And yeah, Darla's always been like that. She's the strict, '_follow the rules_' kind of woman. She takes some getting used to. Well, here we are." She stopped in front of a closed door that had its blinds pulled down.

"Thanks again, Alicia," I smiled. "If there's anyway that I can repay you..."

"A picture would be awesome," she replied eagerly. "And maybe an autograph? That would mean so much to me."

"Of course," I smiled, leaning closer to her as she pulled out her phone.

"Umm, Chris, could you-" she started to ask.

"Yeah, I can take the picture," he sighed, reaching for the phone.

"No," she shook her head. "I want you to be in it too."

"Oh!" his face lit up. "Sure." He moved around to her other side and we both leaned in as she held her phone out and snapped a picture. As she looked it over, I pulled out my notebook from my pocket and scribbled down a thank you to her, specifically addressing it to her, before passing it to Chris to sign as well.

"Thank you," she squealed softly as I handed her the page.

"Thank you," I replied, my eyes flickering back to the door. "So much. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Happy to help," she smiled as she reluctantly turned away and left us.

I took a deep breath as I put my hand on the doorknob and opened the door. I slowly peeked my head into the room, my eyes instantly catching those of the person lying on the bed.

"Darren!" Kaley exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she saw me.

"Kaley," I smiled, quickly moving all the way into the room and over to the chair beside the bed. I grabbed her hand as I slid into the chair and gave it a light squeeze.

"How are you?" I asked, my eyes flickering up to the fresh stitches on her forehead. Kaley noticed where my eyes had shifted to and raised her hand self-consciously to cover the mark.

"I'm fine," she said softly, lowering her gaze. "It didn't have to be stitched up, but they wanted to do it just so that it would close up properly. I still might end up with a small scar though."

"That's okay," I replied encouragingly, squeezing her hand again. "Maybe it'll look like a lightning bolt and then you'll be my own personal Harry Potter."

That got a chuckle out of her and she looked back up at me, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"You would like that, wouldn't you," she grinned.

"You know I would," I grinned back, staring deep into her eyes.

_I want to kiss you so badly right now,_ I silently told her. But I refrained from doing so. She was still in a sensitive place after what had happened and I didn't want to unsettle her by doing anything intimate.

"Ok, so when you two _lovebirds _are done making _googly eyes _at each other, would you mind including the rest of us in on your conversation?" Leah's voice commented teasingly. We both looked up to where she and Chris were standing and gave them identical sheepish grins.

"Sorry," we both mumbled at the same time. Our eyes instantly locked on each others' as we realized what we had done and we both burst out laughing. I glanced back over at Leah and Chris to find them rolling their eyes at us. They looked at each other and smirked, a silent joke passing between them.

A knock at the door suddenly cut off our laughter. My eyes flickered over to Chris, a slight feeling of panic passing through me as I realized that we technically weren't allowed to be in here. I was suddenly worried that it would be the grumpy nurse from earlier and I felt Kaley's hand tighten around mine as the door opened, mimicking my own fear. Instead of the nurse, a young doctor with short, dark, curly hair entered. He frowned slightly when he saw us, but his eyes quickly flickered down to our interlocked hands and he smiled.

"You must be Darren," he said to me.

"I am," I nodded slowly, casting a quizzical glance at Kaley, who lowered her head slightly as she blushed.

"You were the first person that she asked for when she woke up," the doctor explained with a grin. "She kept saying 'Where's Darren? I need to find Darren.' It was quite endearing. You've definitely got yourself a keeper here." He gave us a playful wink before glancing down at the clipboard in his hands.

"Thanks," I grinned back, squeezing Kaley's hand again. "She definitely is a keeper, Doctor..."

"Hanover," he supplied instantly with a smile before his face turned more serious. "Now it says here that you were the one who made the call, correct?"

"Yes," I nodded.

"Alright, so you are aware of what happened then?" he asked gently.

"I-I think so," I replied slowly. "It was dark but when I realized what he was doing to her-" Kaley's grip suddenly got tighter in my hand and I snuck a glance at her. Her face had gone pale and her eyes were wide as she stared at the doctor with an intense, scared look on her face.

"What did it say?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

"Well, Miss Grant," Doctor Hanover sighed. "I just got your test results back and..." His lips slowly pulled up into a smile. "They came back as negative."

Both Kaley and Leah let out a deep breath and as I turned back to Kaley again, I noticed the tears in her eyes.

"Kaley, what is it?" I asked anxiously. "What's wrong? What's negative?"

"Nothing's wrong," she smiled softly, fighting back the tears that threatened to overflow her eyes. "Everything is... He didn't... He didn't do it! I'm still..." She cut herself off as she glanced over at Leah and smiled. "He didn't take it, Leah. He didn't take it."

It took me a second to actually clue in to what they were talking about.

"The rape test... came back as negative," I said slowly, making sure that I was right. Kaley nodded, her lips spreading wide into a smile, as the tears started to roll down her cheeks.

For the first time in the past two hours, I finally felt myself relax. Kaley was okay. A little banged up, but she was fine. She was whole. She was not, as she was so revoltingly referred to as, damaged. I squeezed her hand again as a smile of my own spread across my lips.

"Now Miss Grant does have a slight concussion, so she will need to have someone with her at all times for at least the next twenty-four hours, though I don't think that that will be too difficult to arrange," Doctor Hanover stated, grinning at us as he said the last part. "With plenty of bed rest and relaxation, you will be good as new in no time. The cut should heal up nicely in about a week or two and, if it heals up properly, then you hopefully shouldn't have a scar."

"Or maybe hopefully you will, _Potter_," I whispered with a grin as I leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"You missed," she laughed as I pulled away. "My lips are right here." She tapped her lips playfully, looking at me expectantly.

"You sure?" I asked, not wanting to overstep.

"Please, you have no idea how badly I need one of your kisses right now," she replied very seriously.

"Alright," I laughed, leaning over again to place a kiss this time on her lips. As soon as my lips brushed against hers, I instantly felt her lean forward and press into the kiss. Her lips pressed against mine eagerly, hungrily inhaling the taste of my lips against her own.

When we finally broke apart for air, I heard her whisper, "So much better." I slowly opened my eyes and smiled at her.

_I love you,_ I almost said. But for some reason, I held back. Maybe it was because I was still wary of how sensitive she could be right now. Or maybe it was because I didn't want to tell her something that special when she was lying in a hospital bed.

_Someday when we tell our kids about the first time that I said I love you to their mamma, I don't want her to tell them that it was in a hospital. I want it to be romantic! ... Wait a second... __**Our **__kids?_ My eyes quickly flickered up to Kaley's to make sure that I hadn't said any of that out loud. Chris would never let me live it down if he knew what I had just thought!

_Our kids,_ I grinned to myself. _That actually doesn't have that bad of a ring to it. __**Our **__kids..._

"I hate to break you two up, but I'm afraid that you will have to leave now," Doctor Hanover's voice cut through my thoughts.

"What?" I exclaimed unhappily, pulling away from Kaley to look at the doctor. "Why?"

"Visiting hours are technically over," Doctor Hanover stated. "And Miss Grant needs her rest. We'd like to keep her here for the rest of the night, but she can be picked up around noon, if that works for you."

I quickly glanced over at the clock on the wall and realized how late it was.

"Oh gosh, yes, we need to get our sleep too," Chris exclaimed, noticing the time as well. "Quarter after one! I never stay up this late! Not on a show night! We should go, Dare. Do you need a ride home, Leah?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "I'm going to be staying the night here with Kaley. I've already cleared it with the hospital and I brought some extra clothes with me, along with some for Kaley." She gestured to the back pack that was now lying on the floor next to the bed.

"Why do you get to stay?" I pouted slightly.

"Because I don't have to do a show tomorrow and need my proper rest tonight," Leah replied with a slight chuckle. "Chris and I got all of the costumes done before we left so I don't have to be there as early. But you do, so you need to get going."

"Fine," I sighed, leaning down to give Kaley another quick kiss. "Good night, Kaley. I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded. "Good night. Sweet dreams."

"They will be if I'm dreaming about you," I grinned as I stood up and moved towards the door.

"You're a dork," she laughed.

"Yes, but I'm your dork," I laughed as well, giving her a small wink.

"Alright, come on, Darren," Chris sighed, grabbing my arm as he started to pull me out of the room. "That's enough lovey-dovey talk for one night! Good night, girls!"

"But-" I started to argue.

"Darren!" Chris cut me off, shooting me a warning glare.

"Fine!" I pouted, shooting one last glance over at Kaley. "Good night!" I quickly blew her a kiss and was able to see her catch it before Chris pulled me completely out of eye sight.

"Not cool, man," I said as I pulled my arm out of his grip. "Why'd you cut me off like that?"

"Because if I hadn't, then we'd be saying good night all night!" Chris exclaimed. "And unlike you, I need my beauty sleep!"

"You're such a drama queen," I remarked as we walked out of the hospital.

"Oh and you're not?" Chris retorted. "Mr. _My Dreams Will Be Sweet Only If I'm Dreaming About You_?"

"Hey, that was a cute line!" I exclaimed.

"That was a cheesy line and you know it!" Chris scoffed.

"Yeah," I grinned. "But the ladies love it anyways."

"Kaley was right," Chris smirked. "You are a dork."

"A very happy dork," I agreed, a huge smile beaming on my face.

"Come on, Mr. Happy Dork," Chris laughed. "I think I see our ride." Sure enough, a long, black limo pulled up before us. Chris opened the door and we both quickly slid into the back seat.

"Hey, Steven," I smiled at him as the dark window lowered.

"How is Miss Grant?" he asked immediately.

"She's doing fine," I grinned. "They said that we can come pick her up tomorrow."

"Good," Steven smiled as he turned back to face the front. "I like that one."

_Me too,_ I grinned to myself as I felt the vehicle start to pull away. _Me too._

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

I slowly opened my eyes, blinking uncomfortably as the light hit them. As my vision cleared, I slowly looked around the room. It wasn't my room.

_The hospital,_ I realized. _I'm still at the hospital. _

A small groan came from the small cot beside me and I looked over at the sleeping form lying there with a smile. Leah's hair was splayed all over the pillow and one of her arms was hanging off the side of the bed. She was fast asleep, her mouth hanging open slightly, letting a low snore slip out.

"Leah," I whispered, trying to reach out and poke her, but I wasn't able to because the bed was too far away.

"Leah," I called again, a little louder. A quiet moan was the only response I got. Looking around, I noticed the small, brown monkey stuffy that Leah had brought for me last night. With a smile, I picked it up and took aim.

"_Leah_!" I called out louder, throwing the stuffy at her. I hit her square in the face, jolting her awake.

"What the-" she exclaimed, her eyes shooting open and her body vaulting up. She blinked a couple times before she looked at me then down to the stuffy lying beside her. She looked back up at me with a glare as she put two and two together.

"Good morning," I smiled at her. "I think I dropped Coco. Have you seen him?"

"Dropped him my butt," Leah grumbled as she chucked the monkey back at me. "Here, take your stupid monkey!"

"Hey! Careful!" I scolded. "He's sensitive! And he prefers the term intelligently handicapped!" Leah just rolled her eyes at me as she sat up and got out of the bed. She took a quick glance down at her ring watch and smiled.

"Oh good, it's almost noon," she smiled happily. "That means that I can take you home."

"Finally!" I exclaimed. "I hate being stuck in the hospital! It gives me the creeps and it smells funny."

"Amen to that!" Leah agreed, shivering slightly. "Here, go get dressed while I page the doctor and get you checked out so that we can go." She passed me the back pack that she had brought with her.

"Alright," I nodded as I took the bag and slid out of the bed. I quickly walked over to the bathroom attached to my room and closed the door behind me. Once I opened the bag, I quickly found a pair of dark sweats and a purple Campus Crew sweater, as well as some other necessities. I quickly put them on and, by the time I was done and had walked back out, Doctor Hanover had arrived.

"Good morning," he smiled at me as I walked back into the room. "How are you feeling today?"

"Good," I smiled back, passing the bag to Leah so that she could go change. "My head hurts a little, but I feel pretty good."

"Great," he replied, scribbling something down on his clipboard. "Looks like you're all set to go. I'd like to see you back here in a couple of weeks to make sure that your cut has healed up, but if there are any problems, don't hesitate to come back and see me before that, okay?"

"Okay," I nodded, though I really shouldn't have as the action made me kind of dizzy. I blinked a couple times to clear my vision, but thankfully the doctor hadn't noticed.

_I don't want to have to be stuck here any longer,_ I thought as Leah rejoined us.

"Ready to go?" Leah asked me.

"Yep," I said, careful not to nod again. "Thanks for everything, Doctor Hanover."

"Anytime," he smiled. "Have a good day, ladies."

We both said our goodbyes as we quickly walked out the door. I think that Leah could sense my eagerness to get out of there.

As soon as we stepped outside the building, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"_Freedom_!" I yelled only steps outside the door, which was still open. I heard a couple of chuckles float through the door before it closed behind us.

"Feel better now?" Leah teased.

"Much better," I grinned. "Come on, let's go home."

Leah quickly led me over to where her scooter was parked, which she and Chris had ridden over the night before. My scooter was still back at the theatre.

_The theatre._ I inwardly shuddered as I thought about the place. How was I going to be able to go back there? I would just be constantly reminded of _him _there.

_Well, you don't have to go back today, at least,_ I told myself. _We'll just have to take things one step at a time. _

The scooter ride back to our apartment did not take very long. It felt weird not being the one driving. I hadn't really shared the driving with Darren for my scooter as I loved driving it myself too much to let him have a turn. It was kind of nice not having to really focus. I was able to look around as we drove. Some people gave us weird glances as we passed by, while others didn't even give us a second glance.

_That's New York for you,_ I smiled to myself.

By the time we reached our apartment, I actually was starting to feel tired again.

"You get on up to bed then," Leah said when I told her how I felt. "The doctor said that you need lots of bed rest. I'll go make you some tea and soup."

"That sounds nice," I smiled as I trudged into the building and up the stairs to our apartment. Within minutes, I was crashing down onto my bed, pulling my large monkeys close to me as I snuggled down and promptly started drifting off to sleep, silently wishing that it was Darren that I was cuddling and not an over-sized monkey.

_No offense, monkeys, _I mentally told them. _But Darren's the only monkey that I really want to be cuddling with right now. He's my little cuddle monkey._ A small grin slipped onto my lips. _Darren, my little cuddle monkey. It has a nice ring to it. Darren, I think that I just found you a new nickname. Cuddle monkey. Yeah, I think that will work. He's my cuddle monkey._ I sighed happily as I snuggled down deeper under my blankets. _And that's the best monkey that I could ever ask for. A cuddle monkey. My cuddle monkey. My cuddle monkey, Darren._

* * *

_A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS! Ya, I know I'm a couple days late, but better late than never right? :-p So, to make up for it, I have posted a very special new story for all of you! It is called **If They Only Knew** and it is a spin off to this story but it's from, can you guess?, Leah and Chris' POVs! :) A lot of you have commented on the fun, flirtatiously relationship between Leah and Chris and we thought that it was time to finally let the truth of their relationship come out :) So please go check out that new story and leave us a comment letting us know what you think and, if you like it, subscribe! :-p _

_Time to do my shout outs of awesomeness! Shout outs to **ErikaTrygg**, **Penelope Elizabeth Anne Snape**, **delara5287**, **drobrien**, and **ohfudge** for joining our awesome family and thank you to __**Penelope Elizabeth Anne Snape**_, _**drobrien**_, and **mmatasmilie** for adding this story to your favourites :) I'm glad that you like it so much :)

_**Sarah**: Muhahahaa Because I am evil! :-p Plus it adds so much more drama and suspense to a chapter! But at least I didn't leave you with a cliffhanger this time, right?  
_

_**alicegursk**: I've had that chapter planned since August and writing it was super hard and intense. It makes me happy to see such an intense response to such an intense chapter :)  
_

_**WillYouLoveMyDarkSide**: tee hee? :-p I love leaving you guys in suspense cause that keeps you wanting to come back for more! :-p  
_

_**drobrien**: It is reactions like yours that brings me such joy :) And I'm glad that you're excited about the sequel and threequel :)  
_

_**nomorecandles**: Sorry! Can't help it! I didn't do it this time, so that's good, right? :p  
_

_**Liveforblueandredties**: It's all good :) I just love getting any reviews from you guys. I love hearing what you guys think about the new chapters :) And thank you :) That's really sweet of you to say :) Writing is my passion and I love being able to share it with you guys :)  
_

_**Charleygyrl**: Yes, lots of love hate relationship with this story :) So glad that you're enjoying it! :)  
_

_**Britgleek**: Thanks and I'll try! I'll try to check it out when I find some free time! Been busy between work and Christmas and writing this story, but when I find some free time, I'll make sure to check it out :)  
_

_**jennanderton78**: murdering you with my awesomeness :-p  
_

_**mm cupcake**: Sorry! I hope that you passed your midterms! So glad that you enjoy my story though! :)  
_

_**Dramaprincess515**: Thank you! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it! :) And I intend to :-p  
_

_**Allie**: Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you like it! :)  
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_**Anna**: Ask and you shall receive :) I'm glad that you're enjoying my story :)  
_

* * *

_**PLEASE DO CHECK OUT SOME OF MY OTHER WORKS, INCLUDING THE NEW SPIN OFF! I THINK THAT YOU'LL ENJOY THEM! :) MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL! 3**  
_


	41. Chapter 41: I'll Stand By You

_A/N: I am so sorry this is so late! I feel like I keep saying that, but it's hard sometimes finding inspiration for new chapters. Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! :D I wish all the best to all of you in this new year of 2013! And I hope that you enjoy this new chapter! :D_

* * *

Chapter 41 - I'll Stand By You

**Kaley's POV **

The moment that I woke up, I knew that I was not alone and judging by the abs pressed up against my back, it wasn't Leah lying beside me. I didn't need to open my eyes to guess who it was.

"Cuddle monkey," I whispered, snuggling back into his arms. I felt his arms tighten around me as he shifted, leaning closer and pressing his lips against my neck.

"Good, you're awake," he whispered in my ear. "Now we can have some real fun."

"Fun?" I repeated, shifting so that I could turn to face him. "Darren, what do you me-" I froze as his face appeared in front of me.

"_James_," I gasped, my eyes widening and my heart pounding.

"Good morning, Kaley," he grinned. "You should have realized that I'm not done with you yet. Time to pick up where we left off." He suddenly rolled over so that he was lying on top of me, holding me down to the bed.

"Get off of me!" I yelled, hoping that I was loud enough that someone would hear me. "Leah, help me!"

"Leah can't help you," he grinned, leaning down to slide his tongue up my cheek. "Darren can't help you either. This time you're all _alone_. This time you're all _mine_!"

"No!" I screamed, thrashing against him. "Let me go! Help!"

"There's no use fighting it," James laughed. "No one's coming to save you. They don't _want _to. Why would they? You're _nothing _to them."

"No," I could feel tears starting to prick my eyes. "You're wrong! They care about me! Darren-"

"Darren?" James scoffed. "You think that he really cares about you? No, he just wanted someone to hook up with. He was single for what, a day?, before he started hitting on you. Face it, Kaley, you're just a hook up to him. Someone that he can kiss and hold so that he doesn't feel lonely while he's stuck here in New York. You know the second that he gets back to L.A. that he'll hook up with someone new. Or maybe he'll go back to Vanessa. When he has a girl _that _hot wanting to be with him, why would he _ever _choose to be with _you_? You're _nothing_."

"That's not true," I argued, though my voice didn't sound as confident as I wanted it to be. "It's not true. It can't be true."

"Why?" James laughed. "Because you _love _him? He's just a heartbreak waiting to happen. He'll never love you, Kaley. You're not good enough for him."

"That's not true!" I yelled, trying to ignore the tears that were now rolling down my cheeks.

"You know it is," he smirked.

"Stop it!" I cried, struggling against him. "Leave me alone!"

"Oh, I'm never going to leave you alone, Kaley," he grinned, licking his lips as he leaned down closer so that his face was inches from mine. "I'm going to be with you _forever_. You're _never _going to get rid of me. I _won't _let that happen." He pressed his lips against mine, making bile rise to my throat. I quickly turned my head away, breaking the contact.

"I think that it's time to take things to the next level," James said, placing his hand on my chest and sliding it down lower.

"No!" I screamed. "Help! Please, somebody help me!" His hand had reached the top of my sweatpants. "Stop! Don't touch me!"

"_Kaley_!" he cried... but it wasn't his voice anymore. "Kaley, wake up!"

My eyes shot open, my vision initially blurred by the tears pooled in them, but as I blinked them away, a face with dark, slicked-back hair appeared.

"_Darren_," I whispered, almost in disbelief, as tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Kaley, it's okay," he said, cupping my cheek with his hand and brushing a tear away with his thumb. "It's okay. It was just a dream. You're okay."

"Oh, Darren," I sobbed, diving forward into his embrace. He held me tightly as I continued to cry, gently rubbing my back and whispering soothing words to me.

"It's okay," he said softly. "I've got you. You're safe now. He can't hurt you." After a couple of minutes, the tears stopped flowing and the room slowly grew quiet as my sobbing became silent. I felt Darren shift slightly and I instantly tightened my hold on him.

"Don't go!" I pleaded, looking up at him.

"I'm not going anywhere," he smiled, reaching a hand up to brush a piece of hair from my face and tuck it behind my ear. "I'm just going to move us a bit so that I can lie down with you. Is that okay?" I slowly nodded and Darren carefully slid his arm under my legs and lifted me as he slid farther onto the bed. He gently set my legs down again as he leaned back against the wall, propping himself up so that I could lean up against him, which I promptly did. He kept his arms firmly around me, but not so tight that they would be uncomfortable, as I snuggled into his side.

"You're okay now, Kaley," he whispered softly, gently stroking my hair. "You're okay. I'm here now."

After a couple minutes of silence, he started to hum quietly, and I slowly looked up at him.

"Will you sing for me?" I asked softly with hopeful eyes.

"For you?" he smiled. "Anything."

He paused for a moment before he slowly started to hum again. After a couple beats, he opened his mouth and started to sing.

_Come stop your crying_

_It will be alright_

_Just take my hand_

_Hold it tight_

_I will protect you from _

_All around you_

_I will be here,_

_Don't you cry_

_For one so small, _

_You seem so strong_

_My arms will hold you, _

_Keep you safe and warm_

_This bond between us _

_Can't be broken _

_I will be here,_

_Don't you cry_

_'Cause you'll be in my heart_

_Yes, you'll be in my heart_

_From this day on_

_Now and forever more_

_You'll be in my heart_

_No matter what they say_

_You'll be here in my heart_

_Always_

_Why can't they understand the way we feel?_

_They just don't trust _

_What they can't explain_

_I know we're different but _

_Deep inside us_

_We're not that different at all_

_And you'll be in my heart _

_Yes, you'll be in my heart_

_From this day on_

_Now and forever more_

_Don't listen to them, _

_Cause what do they know_

_We need each other,_

_To have, to hold  
_

_They'll see in time_

_I know_

_When destiny calls you,_

_You must be strong _

_I may not be with you, _

_But you've got to hold on_

_They'll see in time_

_I know_

_We'll show them together cause_

_You'll be in my heart_

_Believe me, you'll be in my heart_

_I'll be there from this day on, _

_Now and forever more_

_Oh, you'll be in my heart_

_No matter what they say_

_I'll be with you,_

_You'll be in my heart,_

_Always_

_Always  
_

_I'll be with you _

_I'll be there for you always _

_Always and always_

_Just look over your shoulder_

_Just look over your shoulder_

_Just look over your shoulder_

_I'll be there for you always_

_Always_

He leaned his head down and kissed me gently on my forehead.

"I'm always going to be there for you, Kaley," he whispered softly. "You mean so much to me and I promise that I'm always going to do everything in my power to keep you safe."

"I know," I smiled. "And thank you. For that and the song."

"Any time," he smiled back.

"Darren?" I tilted my head up to look at him.

"Yes, Kaley?" he asked, looking down at me.

"Can we watch _Tarzan_?" I asked.

"Of course we can," he laughed, suddenly sliding his arm under my legs again and picking me up.

"I can walk, you know," I joked as he stood up and carried me out of the bedroom and towards the living room.

"I know," he grinned. "But it's much more fun this way." He set me down gently on the couch and straightened back up.

"Do you want anything to eat or drink?" he asked, walking over towards the kitchen.

"That'd be great," I smiled, leaning over the back of the couch to watch him. "You sure seem to know your way around." He looked back at me and smiled at the comment.

"Leah was _very _thorough in showing me where everything was so that I'd be able to get you whatever you needed," he explained, pulling out a pot from one of the lower cupboards.

"Aww," I frowned. "I was hoping to be the one to show you around."

"You can give me another tour once you're feeling better," Darren replied, pulling out the kettle as well. "Leah did do a pretty good job of showing me around, but I think that I'll like my second tour the best. I love your room, by the way. I'm guessing that you have a thing for monkeys?"

I blushed slightly at his comment, biting my lip.

"Yeah, they're kinda my favourite animal," I replied.

"I'll have to remember that," he grinned, throwing a wink over in my direction. "Favourite animal is a monkey, favourite colour is blue..."

"You remember that?" I gasped.

"Of course," he smiled. "How could I forget something as _important _as that? Someday I could be trying to buy you an outfit or something and if I didn't know, then I would end up picking the wrong colour and end up in the dog house! We can't have that now, can we?"

_Someday?_ My heart skipped a beat at his words. Someday implied a long time in the future, implying that Darren believed that we would still be together in the future. I suddenly got a lot more hopeful for where our relationship was going.

_It's going to last,_ I smiled. _We will make it work._

"Chicken noodle soup and green tea with honey," Darren announced as he set a tray down on my lap. He then quickly went over to the movie stand in the corner and pulled _Tarzan _out, quickly putting it into the DVD player before returning to the couch and plopping down beside me. He gently put his arm around me and I instantly leaned into his side as the movie started to play. When _You'll Be In My Heart _started to play, I reached for Darren's hand and gave it a light squeeze. He sang along with the song, pressing a light kiss to my forehead when it ended.

_It doesn't matter what people throw at us or what people think,_ I smiled to myself, sneaking a glance up at Darren. _As long as we have each other, then __**everything's gonna be alright**__. _

* * *

**Darren's POV **

I smiled as the movie slowly came to an end.

"I love _Disney _movies," I smiled, looking down at Kaley, who I realized was fast asleep again. I sighed as I brushed a piece of hair from her face.

_I hope that she doesn't have another nightmare,_ I thought as I watched her breath in and out. _She looks so peaceful right now... I want to make that creep pay for what he did to her. No one deserves to have that happen to them, especially not Kaley. It's not fair that she has to go through all of this..._ I sighed again as I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.

When she had first started screaming, I had actually thought that someone else had been in the room with her, but when I found her alone, thrashing around in her bed and screaming in her sleep, my heart had broken. Though what had happened was past, Kaley was still haunted by it.

My eyes shot open as Kaley let out a small moan in my arms. Her face twisted into a grimace as her body tensed and her breathing quickened. I gently stroked her hair and whispered calming words to her, then quietly started humming the song again, which seemed to help as her face softened and her body relaxed.

_How long will she have to battle with this?_ I wondered, my lips falling into a frown as her breathing returned to normal. _How long until she's able to sleep peacefully without him haunting her dreams? _

A sudden bump at the door caught my attention and I gently eased out from under Kaley, carefully moving her so that she was lying down on the couch, and went to the door, which was slowly opening.

"Hi, Darren," Leah smiled as she slipped in through the door, gently closing it behind her. "How's Kaley doing?"

"She's sleeping again," I replied quietly. "She's been having nightmares, but I've found that singing helps to calm her if she starts making noises."

As if on cue, Kaley let out a soft cry. I quickly dashed back to her, crouching down and stroking her hair as I whispered, "It's okay, I'm here" and started humming again. She slowly quieted down again.

"I think the singing helps ground her," I explained. "Reminds her that she's just dreaming, that none of it's real."

"What was she dreaming about?" Leah asked.

"What do you think?" I sighed, standing up again. "She kept screaming for him to get away and leave her alone."

"Poor girl," Leah sighed. "I wish there was something that I could do to help her."

"Just be there for her," I said, walking over and picking up the scooter keys from off the table. I had ridden Kaley's scooter back here because I figured that it would be quicker than waiting for the limo. Plus, I had never gotten a chance to drive it. I would never say it to her, but Kaley could be a bit of a scooter hog.

"I should get going," I sighed, not really wanting to leave.

"Yeah, you don't want to be late for your show," Leah nodded.

"I'll be back right after," I said as I walked towards the door and put on my shoes that I had left there. "I'm probably going to stay here tonight."

"Do you want me to make up the couch for you?" Leah asked, following me back to the door.

"No," I grinned. "I think that I'll be fine." My eyes flickered back to where Kaley was on the couch. "I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"

"Chill, Darren," Leah laughed. "I've known Kaley for years. I know how to take care of her. We'll be fine."

"Alright," I sighed, opening the door. "I'll have my cell close by if you need me."

"Go, Darren!" Leah ordered, ushering me out the door. "I've got this. Now go put on your Blaine face and be _Gleetastical_. Kaley will still be here when you get back."

"Ok," I replied. "See you soon."

"Bye, Darren," she replied, gently shutting the door behind me, which was probably a good thing or else I probably would have stayed there for at least another ten minutes.

_She'll be fine,_ I told myself. _Go do the show and then come back. _I grinned as I looked at the closed door. _In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger, __**I'll be back**__. _

* * *

**Chris' POV**

_Where is he?_ I sighed, watching the corner anxiously, waiting for Darren to appear around it. I quickly glanced down to look at the time. _The show goes up in twenty minutes! Where is he?!_

Just as I though that, I heard the low hum of a scooter quickly approaching.

"_Finally_!" I said as Darren came flying around the corner on the black scooter. Darren smiled when he saw me, raising his hand to wave, which caused the scooter to wobble slightly, so his hand instantly shot back down to the handles again.

_He's such a dork,_ I smiled to myself as I watched him get closer. And closer. And closer. Too close!

"Pull the brakes!" I yelled at him as he quickly drew closer. "No, the other brake! Yes, _that _one!" I cringed as Darren slowed to a stop, just inches from hitting the wall.

"You're a _maniac_!" I told him as I walked over. "How long have you been driving that thing?"

"This is only my second time," he grinned, pulling off his helmet. "Kaley doesn't like to share, so I'm milking every chance that I can get." I just rolled my eyes at him.

"Come on, we have to go get you ready," I sighed. "We don't have much time left."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he chuckled, holding the handles as he stood and started to hop off of the scooter. As he did, his hand accidentally turned the handle, making the scooter move forward and crash into the wall.

"_Darren_!" I exclaimed, rushing over and pulling the key from the ignition. "You have to turn it off before you get off!"

"Opps," he blushed.

"Let's see what the damage is," I sighed, signalling for him to roll the scooter back so that I could look at its front. I crouched down and ran my hand over the front, carefully rubbing my fingers over a slight scuff mark.

"Could be worse," I said as I stood back up. "But Kaley's still going to kill you."

"She won't kill me," he retorted. "She loves me to much to do that."

"Oh, she loves you now, does she?" I grinned.

"Yes," Darren replied confidently. "Well, she's never actually told me that she loves me but I can feel it, you know? It's in the way that she looks at me and stuff. The way that she says my name. I know because it's exactly how I feel when I look at her."

"So what you're saying is that you love her," I smiled, forcing myself not to aww.

"Yeah," Darren blushed, ducking his head slightly to hide his reddening cheeks. "I do."

"Have you told her yet?" I asked eagerly.

"No," he shook his head. "There hasn't been a good time yet. I want it to be perfect when I tell her, really romantic, you know? I know that Kaley is totally into the cheesy romance stuff, so I want to be able to make it perfect for her." He let out a soft sigh as his fingers instantly reached up to his head to run through his hair, but he stopped himself just in time to prevent his heavily gelled hair from getting messed up. He quickly dropped his hand back down and fiddled with his fingers nervously.

"I just really want to make it special," he said softly. "I know that I haven't known her for very long, but it... things just feel _right _with her. I feel the happiest whenever I'm around her. She's never made me feel like I have to pretend to be someone that I'm not. She's not using me for fame like some people would. Heck, she's freaked out of even being in the spotlight!"

"There's just so much about Kaley that I love. I love the way that she makes me feel. I love the way that her smile lights up the whole room. I love the way that when she looks at me, I just feel like everything's going to be okay. I just love everything about her and I can't even picture the idea of us not being together."

"I hope that you landed okay," I grinned. "Because you've definitely fallen and you've fallen hard, my friend. And I couldn't be happier for you. Kaley is a great girl and she really does suit you. I really hope that what you have lasts. You know that it's going to be hard on both of you, her being here and us being in L.A., right? Have you thought about that at all?"

"Yeah, I have," he nodded slowly. "And I have a few ideas of things we could do. It's going to be hard, but it will be worth it. I don't want to lose her, Chris. She just means so much to me. I love her."

"Then she's a very lucky girl," I replied with a smile. "To have a guy like you love her."

"No, I'm the lucky one," he replied with a grin. "To have a girl as amazing as her to love."

"Yes," I replied softly. "You are _both _very lucky."

"Hey, don't worry, Chris," Darren said, patting me gently on the back. "There's someone out there for you too! Someone who will be just as lucky to have such an incredible guy like you to love them."

"Yeah, someone..." I sighed softly. "Darren, I-"

"There you two are!" a very angry voice accompanied the sound of a door slamming open. We both looked over to see a very upset Ryan standing in the doorway.

"Sorry, Ryan," I apologized, grabbing Darren's arm and dragging him past the angry producer. "We'll be ready in five minutes."

"You'd better be!" he snapped. "The show goes up in seven!"

"I really wish that he hadn't decided to stay for the second week as well," Darren sighed once we were out of earshot. "Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, but when he's stressed, he can be a pain in the buttocks!"

"Agreed!" I laughed.

"So, what were you going to say back there?" he asked suddenly.

"What?" I blinked, surprised that he was asking.

"You were about to say something to me before Ryan burst in," Darren explained. "Or I guess I should say burst out, since we were outside."

"Oh, that," I replied calmly. "It was nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Alright," he shrugged, ducking into his dressing room. "If you say so. See you in a few!"

"Be quick!" I called out as he shut the door behind him, leaving me alone to my thoughts.

_There's someone out there for you too. Someone who will be just as lucky to have such an incredible guy like you to love them._ Darren's words played over in my mind.

_Someone._ Not _he _or _him_, but _someone_. _Them_. I found it amusing that Darren didn't classify my special someone into a certain gender.

_And maybe he's right by doing that,_ I smiled to myself. _Because maybe, just maybe, my special someone isn't the someone that you would expect..._

* * *

_A/N: I won't be able to do my normal commenting tonight because I am in a rush to post this before bed but I will take a second to thank all of you for your continual love and support for this story. Thank you **SkittlesPanda**, **Softballgirl5640**, and **Finnickglee** for joining the family! Thank you to all of my totally awesome, amazing commenters: **drobrien**, **Penelope Eli****zabeth Anne Snape**, **LiesMiranda**, **Sarah**, **nomorecandles**, **Liveforblue****andredties**, **AmyRodgers**, **alicegursk**, **harleyquinn2587**, **Charleygyrl**, and **Softballgirl5640**. If you asked any questions, I will be sure to answer them in the next chapter. Sorry about that! If you have any urgent questions, feel free to ask me over Twitter 11Cassaroo11. Loves and hugs for all! Until next chapter! :-p  
_


	42. Chapter 42: Hold It Against Me

_OMG COME WHAT MAY! Anyone else freaking? 3 Only one more week till **Glee**_ _is back! Love! Because I know that you have been waiting for this, I will not keep you long. Comments will be answered at the bottom after the chapter is finished. Please, feel free to ask me any questions at all, either on here or on **Twitter**. I love hearing from you guys :) I'm kinda proud of myself because this chapter was going to be only about 2500 words and I managed to get it up to almost 5000, with a new added drama and twist! Hope you guys like it! :-p_

_One last thing, do any of you follow Kaley or Leah on **Twitter**? Cause if you do, you may have noticed a sneak peek comment made between them hinting at something that may happen in the next chapter! Stay tuned! :p  
_

_And now, without further ado, please enjoy this new chapter :)  
_

* * *

Chapter 42 ~ Hold It Against Me

**Kaley's POV**

"Okay, enough is enough!" an angry voice exclaimed somewhere beside me. I rolled over and opened my eyes to see a very irritated Leah staring down at me.

"Get your lazy butt out of bed right now!" she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance.

"No," I mumbled as I rolled back over and pulled my blankets above my head.

"Kaley!" she huffed. "You haven't left the apartment since you got back on Wednesday! It's time to get up and get back into life! It's not healthy for you to be lying around like this, moping!"

"I'm not moping," I groaned from under the blankets. "I'm recovering!"

"Kaley, it's been three days!" Leah exclaimed. "You can't spend your life locked up in our apartment!" Her voice softened as she continued. "I know that what you went through was traumatic, Kaley, but you can't let what happened control your life. You can't let _him _control your life. You're stronger than that. I know you are. The Kaley I know wouldn't mope around in defeat! No! She'd go back out there, back to that theatre, and show everyone just how strong that I know she is!"

"I'm not ready," I whined, pulling the blankets tighter around me as I squeezed my eyes shut. "You don't know what it was like..."

"Kaley," I felt the bed shift slightly as she sat down beside me. "I dated him, remember? I know what he's like. Luckily, he never got the chance to try anything with me, but now, because of you, he won't be able to hurt anyone else. He's gone, Kaley. He can't hurt you anymore."

"You don't know that," I whispered, my thoughts flashing back to the constant nightmares that I'd been having. He was hurting me every time that I slept, but no one knew.

"Okay, that's enough!" The blankets were suddenly ripped off my body and I rolled over and looked up at Leah in surprise. "The guys only have three more shows here! Are you really going to waste that precious time that we have left with them lying in bed in fear of something that's past?"

Leah's words, though I didn't want to listen to them, were true. Darren only had three shows left here until they were done. Then what? Darren would be going back to L.A. to start shooting the new season and I'd stay here in New York. I know that we had agreed that we weren't going to let our relationship end, but how long did long distance relationships really ever last?

James' words in my nightmares weren't just his biting remarks. They were also _my_ worries. What if things didn't work out between us? What if Darren was just using me for comfort while he was here? What if Darren found someone else when he went back to L.A.? These thoughts, combined with what had happened with James, made me feel sick to my stomach.

"Come on, Kaley," Leah sighed softly. "It's time to get up and get back into life. The guys need you there. _Darren _needs you there. _I _need you there."

With a small sigh, I turned and swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up.

"Happy?" I asked.

"Very," Leah grinned, standing up as well. "Now hurry and get dressed. We're going to be late."

"Late?" I asked, moving over to my dresser to get some fresh clothes. "Late for what?"

"The show, of course!" Leah exclaimed. "The last show of the day starts in about twenty minutes! And I know it would help Darren to have you there. He's been worried sick about you. He hasn't been able to concentrate, he's been messing up his dance steps, and the smile on his face is forced. I know because the second that he steps off stage, it disappears. He needs you there for him just as much as you needed him here for you."

"Okay," I sighed, knowing that Leah was right, once again. I quickly pulled out a random shirt and a pair of dark pants and turned back to look at Leah. "Let's go."

* * *

**Darren's POV**

"What is going on with you today, Darren?" Ryan asked, stopping me as I aimlessly wandered the halls. I looked up at him blankly, not fully registering that he was there for a second. Ryan's expression seemed to soften as he saw my face.

"This is about Kaley, isn't it?" he asked softly, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. I blinked a couple of times before I slowly nodded.

"She's going to be okay, Darren," he continued, just as softly. "She's a tough girl. She's going to make it through this."

"It just hurts so much," I said, trying not to cry. Zayna would kill me if I ruined my stage makeup... Though she might make an exception in this case. "I can see how much she's hurting because of this, but I feel so helpless! I want to help her, but I don't know what to do. If I could take all of that pain away for her, I would. Even if it meant that I'd have to bear that pain myself."

"You really care about her, don't you?" Ryan asked, to which I nodded again.

"More than anyone that I ever have before," I replied. "I don't want to lose her, but I can already feel her slipping away and it's killing me. I can't lose her, Ryan. I just can't."

"Because you love her," Ryan stated, startling me.

"Y-Yes," I nodded slowly. "How did you-"

"Darren, I've been in love," he smiled. "I know what it looks like and I can see it in your eyes. You're in love with her." He paused for a second before chuckling slightly. "You know, when you first pulled her up to me that first day back two weeks ago, I never in a million years thought that you two would end up where you are now. But then, over the next few days, I started to see a change in you, Darren. You seemed... happier. I know that it's not my business to get involved with your personal life, but I could see how much your relationship with... Victoria, was it?"

"Vanessa," I corrected him, though I could really care less about her.

"Right, Vanessa," Ryan nodded. "Well, I could see how much your relationship with her upset you. I noted the countless times that you would come to a shooting looking upset and frustrated. But one thing that I've always loved about you is how you can leave all of your personal baggage at the door when you come to work. But today you didn't. And that's because you really care about Kaley. You can't just leave her at the door because she not baggage to you. She's not a burden. You love her."

"I do," I nodded. "She means the world to me and I'm so worried about her."

"It's going to be okay, Darren," Ryan said, giving me an awkward side hug. "She's strong, and so are you. She'll make it through this. You both will."

"Thanks, Ryan," I gave him a small, but real smile. As strict as Ryan could be sometimes, it was moments like these that reminded me that he was just as caring as he was strict.

"You're welcome, Darren," he smiled, patting me on the back. "Now, I know it's hard, but please try to focus. We've only got three shows left here and we want to be able to give the fans a great show, right?"

"Right," I nodded. "For the fans."

"And for Kaley," Chris' voice announced from behind me. I quickly turned around and was met with a pair of beautiful brown-green eyes.

"Kaley!" I exclaimed, quickly moving forward and pulling her into my arms. I gently lifted her up and spun her around happily. "I'm so happy that you're here!"

"Me too," she gave me a small smile too as I stopped spinning her and stared into her eyes. She slowly leaned down and pressed her lips to mine. I smiled as we broke apart and I gently set her back down.

"What convinced you to come?" I asked. I had sorely missed her presence here, though I understood why she had been hesitant to come back.

"Let's just say that _some people _won't take '_no_' for an answer," Kaley grinned, shooting a glance over at Leah who was trying her best to look completely innocent. "And I heard that you kinda missed me."

"Yeah, kinda," I grinned, still holding her close to me. "I kinda think that you might be my good luck charm cause my performances just haven't been as good since you've been gone."

"Well, then I'm sure that this show will be your best one yet since I'm back now," she replied lightly, staring up into my eyes. The sight took my breath away. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as the light hit them and I could practically feel the warmth and love emitting from them... Wait, love?

I stared deeper into her eyes, searching for the depth of that emotion. I was ready to tell Kaley that I loved her, but was she ready to say the same thing to me? It only took me a couple of minutes to decide that she wasn't completely ready yet. She was still too sensitive right now and I had meant it when I said that I wanted it to be extremely special and romantic when I told her for the first time.

_She's not ready yet,_ I decided. _But she will be soon._

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

It seemed like it was all too soon before Darren had to leave to go finish getting ready for the show. As I watched him walk away, I noticed that he seemed a lot happier than when I had first seen him with Ryan when we had arrived.

Chris had met us at the door the instant that we had arrived, Leah having undoubtedly texted him that we were there.

"Thank goodness you're here!" he exclaimed, pulling me in for a hug. "Seriously, I don't think that I could have handled Darren moping around like this for much longer!"

"He's moping?" I asked, suddenly worried about him. The last few days that I had cooped myself up at home, I had only really been thinking about myself and not really how other people were feeling. I slowly started to feel bad as I realized how worried Darren must have really been about me.

"He started acting like this yesterday," Chris confirmed as we started walking down the hallway. "Usually he's pretty good at covering up his emotions while he's at work, but yesterday he just broke, during one of his performances, of all times. At first, I thought that he had just tripped or something, but as the show went on, I started to notice that he was stumbling a lot and messing up his choreography, which isn't like him. He's always been one of the better dancers in the cast, apart from Harry, Kevin, and Heather, so the fact that he was messing up surprised a lot of us. We could all tell that he wasn't able to focus. And I instantly knew that it was because of you."

"Me?" I furrowed my eyebrows at his accusation.

"I don't mean it in a bad way," Chris replied quickly. "I just mean that he's been worried about you, so he's been having a hard time focusing on anything else. He really cares about you, Kaley, and- Oh! Speak of the devil, there he is!"

I looked up to see Darren standing a little farther down the hallway, talking to Ryan. His shoulders were slumped and his head was hanging slightly. His whole body just seemed to express his unhappiness.

"It's going to be okay, Darren," I heard Ryan say as we got closer. The older man pulled Darren into an awkward-looking side hug as he continued. "She's strong, and so are you. She'll make it through this. You both will."

_They're talking about me,_ I realized.

"Thanks, Ryan," Darren replied, giving him a small smile. I was kind of surprised by this side of Ryan. This sweet and caring side was a side that I had not seen from him before, at least not in person.

"You're welcome, Darren," Ryan smiled in return, patting him on the back. "Now, I know it's hard, but please try to focus. We've only got three shows left here and we want to be able to give the fans a great show, right?"

"Right," Darren nodded slowly. "For the fans."

"And for Kaley," Chris suddenly piped up from beside me, a huge, mischievous grin on his lips. Darren spun around at the sound of his voice, his eyes lighting up as they fell on me.

"Kaley!" he exclaimed, rushing towards me and pulling me into his arms. I felt my feet leave the ground and suddenly I was spinning around as Darren held me tightly to his chest. "I'm so happy that you're here!"

"Me too," I replied, giving him a small smile as he stopped spinning me, and as the words left my mouth, I knew that I had meant it. I was happy to be there, as uncomfortable as it felt, but I knew that Darren needed me there, so there I was.

I stared down into his eyes, which were so bright and full of happiness, and suddenly felt the urge to kiss him. So I did. I slowly leaned down and pressed my lips to his, having sorely missed his touch. A smile lit up his face as we broke apart and he gently set me back down, though he did not let go of me.

"Let's just say that _some people _won't take '_no_' for an answer," I grinned, shooting a slight glare over at Leah, who gave me an innocent look. "And I heard that you kinda missed me."

"Yeah, kinda," He grinned as well, holding me closer, as if he was afraid that I was suddenly going to disappear. "I kinda think that you might be my good luck charm cause my performances just haven't been as good since you've been gone."

"Well, then I'm sure that this show will be your best one yet since I'm back now," I teased lightheartedly, staring up into his eyes. I could never get tired of looking into those dazzling, golden hazel eyes. He stared back at me with such passion that I felt my heart thrum in my chest. We didn't have to say anything. All of our feelings and emotions could be conveyed through our connected eyes, saying things that sometimes you just couldn't find the words for.

_I think that I might be in love with you,_ I silently admitted, secretly wondering if he was able to read my unvoiced thoughts. When a heartfelt smile spread across his lips, I knew that he had. But there was still one question on my mind. _Do you love me?_

* * *

**Darren's POV**

Just knowing that Kaley was nearby greatly improved each of my performances. I was able to focus on the show, knowing that Kaley was close enough that if she needed me, I could be at her side in an instant. A couple of times when I had glanced off stage or when I was rushing by to change outfits, I would catch slight glimpses of her watching me, a smile on her face.

The moment that the show was finished, I quickly rushed off the stage, expecting to find her right away, but she was no where in sight.

"Have you seen Kaley?" I asked one of the stagehands who was passing by. He looked at me, his eyes squinting slightly as his mind worked to figure out who I was, the answer clicking quickly as his face fell into a scowl. His reaction shocked me. I didn't think that I had ever seen him before, so how could I have upset him?

I quickly took in his appearance, double checking to see if maybe I did know him from somewhere. He had shaggy black hair and heavily tanned skin. He was short, shorter than me, but he also looked younger. I figured that he might be around fifteen or sixteen, which was surprisingly young to be working here.

_Why isn't he in school?_ I wondered, frowning slightly. _He looks to young to be working here..._ I quickly shook off those thoughts as I continued to look him over. He had a small scar running alongside his slightly crooked nose all the way down to just above his thin, scowling lips. His eyes were a deep blue colour, but almost seemed to flash red at that moment with flames of hatred.

_He does look kind of familiar..._ I realized, furrowing my brows in confusion. _Where have I seen him before?_

"I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?" I asked cautiously, wary of the dark look that he was giving me. The dark stagehand clothes that he was wearing made him look even more unpleasant, almost evil-like, and made shivers run down my spine

"Yeah, you did," he spat back, the scowl still heavy on his face. "My brother's in jail because of you."

I blinked in surprise at his words. It was then that I realized why he looked so familiar.

"_James_," I gasped.

"Yeah, you and your pansy _girlfriend_ cost my brother his job and now he's facing jail charges!" I could hear the anger building in his voice. "Because of you, we might not be able to pay our rent this month!"

"First of all, it's your brother's own fault, not mine and especially not Kaley's," I snapped, feeling my own anger building inside of me. I took a deep breath to calm myself, waiting until I was in control again before speaking. "Look, man, I'm sorry that you're-"

"Don't call me that!" he growled. "Don't call me '_man_', like as if I'm one of your friends, cause I'm _not_!"

"Then what should I call you?" I asked, starting to get annoyed with him.

"Jordan," he replied. "Jordan Carter. Remember that name, _Mr. Criss_, because you haven't heard the last from me _or_ my brother. You will pay for what you've done."

"I've done nothing but served your brother a heaping plate of justice," I chuckled slightly. "He got what he deserves and I hope that his years in jail will give him plenty of time to think about what he's done and make him think twice before trying to rape an innocent girl."

"Innocent?" Jordan laughed. "Oh your girlfriend is _far_ from innocent. From what I've heard, she was practically throwing herself on my brother, begging him to scr-"

"Shut up!" I growled, grabbing the front of his shirt and lifting him off the ground slightly. My free hand clenched into a fist, which quickly rose, ready to punch him for what he had said, but, taking a deep breath, I dropped my fist and released him.

"You're not worth it," I said, staring him down. "You can thank Kaley that I didn't knock your brains out because she's the one who taught me that. That it's not even worth it to bother with people like you. You're not worth it." And with that, I turned and left him standing there, brooding over my words.

Still not sure where Kaley was, I decided to try my dressing room, thinking that if she wasn't there that I could at least change before I continued to look for her. But I quickly found that that would not be necessary. I spotted her the moment that I opened the door, curled up in a pile of my outfits (yes, I tend to leave my clothes on the floor when I'm changing in a rush), sound asleep. I carefully went over to her, kneeling down and brushing a piece of hair from her face, which I quickly noticed had a small, happy smile on it.

_I wonder what she's dreaming about..._ I thought as I watched her peaceful slumber. _It seems like she's not having nightmares, for once..._

That was when I noticed it. In her hands, Kaley was clutching a white polo shirt, _my_ shirt, close to her chest, almost protectively. I reached down and tried to gently pull it away from her, but her grip just tightened on it, refusing to give it up. Her lips fell into a frown as she fought to keep the article of clothing and as soon as I let go, she pulled it closer and inhaled slowly, the smile quickly returning to her lips.

_She thinks that's me,_ I realized suddenly, a smile slowly spreading across my lips. _I'm the one making her happy, keeping the nightmares away. I'm the one making her smile. _

A quiet buzzing sound pulled my attention away from Kaley and I slowly stood up, looking around for the source. I spotted my phone sitting on the counter and walked over to it. When I picked it up, I found that I had a new text message.

Chris: _I saw what happened back there. I'm proud of you, Dare. Two weeks ago, you would have knocked his lights out, but you didn't. Kaley would have been proud :)_

I smiled as I sent him a reply.

Me: _Thanks :) I find that I'm doing better with controlling my anger now._

Chris: _You've changed because of her... But in a good way :) I'm happy for you._

Me: _Thanks, man :) I'm happy too :D_

I quickly glanced back down at the sleeping form on the floor.

_Happier than ever before. _

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

I slowly opened my eyes, surprised to find myself in my own bed.

_How did I get here?_ I wondered, blinking away the sleep from my eyes. _The last thing I remember, I was in Darren's dressing room... _

"Oh!" I exclaimed softly, suddenly noticing the arm draped across my waist. My heart started to pound, in fear of who was lying beside me. They suddenly shifted beside me and I felt my breath catch in my throat.

"_Kaley... I... you... don't... me..._" I was only able to make out ever other word that was mumbled from his lips, instantly relaxing as I recognized Darren's voice.

_He's talking in his sleep!_ I grinned. _Ever cute! And he's dreaming about me! My boyfriend is so adorkable!_

My boyfriend. I could not get enough of saying that. Darren Criss was my _boyfriend_. Yep, I definitely would never get tired of saying that.

_I wonder what my dad's going to think of Darren. I'm not sure how thrilled he'll be with me dating a celebrity, but I hope that he'll be able to look past all of that and see what an amazing guy Darren is._

I carefully shifted back closer to Darren, taking comfort in the feeling of his body pressed against mine. As I moved, my hand brushed against something soft. Looking down, I noticed a shirt lying on the blanket beside me. _Is that..._

Darren's shirt. Suddenly it all came flooding back to me. How I had ended up on the floor in Darren's dressing room. Darren had been on stage, performing one of his songs, when I decided to go get a drink. As I walked into the green room, I was met with a sight that made me shake with fear. There, in the middle of the room, was a familiar dark haired man. He had his back to me, but I was still able to recognize him.

"_James_!" I gasped, causing him to turn towards me. His dark blue eyes quickly fell on me, full of anger and hatred. I quickly took a couple steps back, afraid that he was going to attack me again.

_Wait, _I realized suddenly. _James' eyes are a lighter blue..._

I blinked a couple of times, suddenly noticing that James did not look the same. He was shorter, his hair more shaggy, and he had a thin scar running from his crooked nose to his thin lips.

"You're not James," I said slowly, making him roll his eyes.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!" he clapped. "Congratulations! You win a prize, _Captain Obvious_!"

"Who are you then?" I asked, standing up straighter. He was not James. James was gone. He couldn't hurt me anymore.

"Jordan," he smirked. "Jordan _Carter_."

"Carter..." I repeated slowly, suddenly making the connection. "You're related to James."

"Wow! Two for two! Looks like we've got a _genius _in our midst!" he announced sarcastically.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded. "What do you want?"

"I work here," he snapped, scowling at me. "My brother was able to get me a job helping out, that is until _you_ got him _fired_!"

"Do you really think that they would keep someone like him here after what he did to me?" I exclaimed.

"What he did to you?" he laughed. "As if you didn't want it."

"What the heck do you mean by that?" I demanded, getting angry. "You think that I wanted him to _rape_ me?"

"It's not rape if it's consentual," he shrugged, as if this were a normal conversation topic.

"You think that I-" I started to say, completely flabbergasted and outraged by his casual-like response.

"You know what?" he said, cutting me off. "I'm done talking to you. I don't want to listen to any more of the lies that are spewing from your mouth." He quickly moved towards the door, stopping beside me for a second on the way.

"You know, I don't even know why my brother was interested in you," he commented, looking me up and down. "You're not even pretty. I don't know what my brother saw in you. Maybe it's actually a good thing that he got fired from here. Now he doesn't have to stare at your ugly face anymore." And with that he gave me a cheeky, smug grin and turned and walked out the door, leaving me standing alone, completely stunned.

_Well, he definitely shares his brother's arrogance,_ I thought, starting to move towards the fridge in the far corner of the room. I quickly opened it and pulled out a bottle of water, though I really didn't feel that thirsty anymore. Now I just felt uncomfortable.

_You're not even pretty._ I had been told that by many of Darren's jealous fans over _Twitter_, but I had never had it said to my face before. It actually hurt more this way, actually hearing someone say it.

_You're not even pretty._ His words continued to echo through my head as I headed back towards the stage.

_I know that I'm not drop dead gorgeous, but I'm at least a little bit pretty, right?_ I stopped to look at my reflection in one of the mirrors along the hallway. _I mean, Darren thinks I'm pretty, right? He says I'm cute... Okay, so that's not the same as pretty, but it's basically the same thing..._

I let out a deep sigh. I was letting Jordan's words get to me. I knew that they were just that, words, but it was still hard to get them out of my mind.

_I need a Darren hug,_ I decided, resuming my walk towards the stage. _I need my cuddle monkey._

But my cuddle monkey ended up being busy, wowing the audience with his amazing voice and talented footwork. With another sigh, I turned away from the stage and headed towards Darren's dressing room. I didn't bother knocking before entering, since I knew that he was on stage, and even if he hadn't been, I was used to seeing him without his shirt on by now.

I looked around the room, frowning at the clothes that Darren had left lying on the floor.

_And this is why we have to wash all of his clothes after every show,_ I silently laughed, shaking my head. I carefully crouched down and started to pick up the clothes that were piled on the floor. As I draped one of his shirts over my arm, I caught of whiff of Darren's scent and I couldn't help but smile, feeling by body relax. Just being here, in Darren's room, surrounded by his stuff, helped to calm me. I eyed the pile again, this time somewhat mischievously.

"Oh, what the heck," I laughed, looking at the pile. "Why not?" I gently flopped down on the pile, smiling as Darren's scent surrounded me. I slowly closed my eyes, relaxing. It almost felt like Darren was there beside me.

_I guess that I must have fallen asleep like that,_ I decided, glancing over my shoulder to look at Darren, who was still fast asleep beside me. _I went from picturing that he was beside me, to actually having him beside me. I think that I like the later better._ I smiled as I watched him softly inhale and exhale.

_Yes, much better._

* * *

_A/N:  
_

_The first thing that I must do is thank all of you for your ever continuing love and support. This story started as a fantasy outlet for myself, but has now become not only for me, but for all of you as well, so thank you. Without your support, I don't know if I would have continued with this story this far.  
_

_Thank you and welcome to our new family members: **Starkid-Super-Friends**, **ItsTheBlazer1105**, **laemmermeier96**, **1GLEEK4**, and **emmyag**. Thank you for following, favouriting, or both :)  
_

_Replies to comments on chapter 40  
_

_**drobrien**: Christmas time deserves happiness :) I'm happy that I was able to put your mind at ease during the Holidays :)  
_

_**Penelope Elizabeth Anne Snape**: I'm loving their relationship too :-p As for their future, well we will just have to wait and see, won't we :p And I agree. I adore Chris and Leah, as well as the nickname Cuddle Monkey. I can't wait for her to call him that either :p I already have the scene planning in my mind haha :p  
_

_**LiesMiranda**: It's all good, hun. Just comment whenever you can. I love hearing from you :) And as for Kaley's reactions, well you've got to see a lot of that in chapter 41 now and I think that it's going to haunt her for a while, but she's learning that she can't let what happen control her life. We don't want to turn this love story into a depressing one. We need some fluffy happiness in here too :p  
_

_**Sarah**: I'm glad you liked it and you're welcome :) Not every chapter is left in a cliffhanger, but I will do it here and there. It adds suspense... and I just love seeing you guys freak out in the comments :p  
_

_**nomorecandles**: Love hate relationship with cliffhangers :p And I love the positive reception to cuddle monkey. People didn't understand why the monkeys on her bed were important back in the first chapter, but things have a way of coming back up in this story :-p  
_

_**Liveforblueandredties**: Once again, a comment that made me smile :) I'm squealing at the positive response to cuddle monkey 3 I would totally call my bf cuddle monkey if I one... Oh, well. At least I've got Darren :p And awesome can never be overused! :-p Cause I think that you are totally awesome for your continual love and support :)  
_

_**AmyRodgers**: Thank you! I intend to! :)  
_

_**alicegursk**: And I love YOU for continuing to love and support me and my story :)  
_

_**harleyquinn2587**: I will try to give you more as often as I can! And I'm happy that I was able to make you swoon with their adorableness :)  
_

_**Charleygyrl**: I'm sensing that you may have like that chapter... :p  
_

_**bye4040**: I am so flattered and thrilled that you read my story in one day! And I'm so glad that you like it!  
_

_Replies to comments on chapter 41  
_

_**Liveforblueandredties**: I'm kinda proud of myself that I was able to make you believe that James really was there :-p That's just me being evil again like I was back with Kaley's dream when she thought that she was kissing Darren for the first time :-p I'm just awesome like that :-p And I LOVE **Tarzan**! The song just fit perfectly with the situation and then also it's **Disney** and **Disney** is amazing! :)  
_

_**bye4040**: Thank you! I'm glad you think so! :)  
_

_**drobrien**: Yeah, that's one pretty intense nightmare, eh? Poor Kaley :( Good thing that she had her amazing cuddle monkey there for her :) And Chreah? Hmmmm could be. Who knows :-p Anything is possible :D  
_

_**Charleygyrl**: I'm sensing a feels moment going on here :-p  
_

_**Sarah**: Chreah a possibility? Hmmm could be! I guess that we will just have to wait and see, won't we? Or you'll have to keep up with **If They Only Knew** ;-p  
_

_**Penelope Elizabeth Anne Snape**: Freaking scary nightmare, right? It's like one of those ones where you're like 'please wake up now, please wake up now, please wake up now'! As for when Darren will tell her... well, there is a time and place for everything :p Be patient, my dear. Good things come to those who wait :) As for what will happen with Chris... well, that is to remain to be seen :p And I totally know what you mean about being jealous. Heck, I'm writing this and I'M freaking jealous of my own character! But then again, who wouldn't be? They'd be DATING Darren freaking Criss! :p  
_

_**AmyRodgers**: I'm trying to update as often as I can! Please bear with me! So thrilled that you love my work though :)  
_

_**SamCollins**: You have no idea how much your comment warms my heart :) If they let us put the heart symbol on here, there would be a dozen of them in this reply, but sadly, they don't, so I am sending you imaginary hearts of happiness :) As for the future of Chris and Leah... well, that remains to be seen :p But if you continue to follow_ _**If They Only Knew**, I think that you will be pleasantly surprised :)  
_

_**jennanderton78**: Sorry #^_^# it's my guilty pleasure :p  
_

_**Starkid-Super-Friends**: Wow! You read it all in one go? I am so flattered and thrilled right now! I'm so glad that you like it! I hope that this new chapter lives up to your expectations! :)  
_

_**nomorecandles**: I don't think that anyone likes James haha :p He was not written as a likeable character. Fun fact for you: What happened with James and Kaley was planned back in August. I've known for months that this was going to happen! Aren't I horrible? But it adds for good drama :) And thank you :) I'm so glad that you like the way I've written them :)  
_

_**gleefan4lyfe**: YOU ARE AMAZING! :)  
_

_**ItsTheBlazer1105**: Thank you thank you thank you! I will definitely do so! :)  
_

_**1GLEEK4**: Thank you! I love that you love it! :)  
_

_Whew! That was a lot of comments to answer! But I hope that they were satisfactory answers! :) Can't wait to see your reactions to this new chapter! And Jordan! What do you think of him? Dun dun duuuuuuh! :-p  
_

_Until next time, love and hugs from me to you! :)  
_


	43. Chapter 43: One Of Us

_A/N: I'M BACK! Did you miss me? Sorry I've been MIA for so long. School and work have been psycho lately and I've struggled to find time, and inspiration, to write sadly :( But I am back now and ready to go! _

_Thanks to my new followers **emmyag**, **Allie Martin**, & **TheFawningCow**. Welcome to our ever growing family! Sending love and much thanks to you all! Thank you as well to **Allie Martin **& **jazzhandz** for favouriting! :) Your support warms my heart :D  
_

_BEFORE I GO ON! NEWS! I have posted a new story! It's called **Wanted** and its an AU Western Klaine fic. It's gonna be pretty intense, but it's pretty awesome. There is one chapter up already and I should have the second one up shortly if there is some support for it. I'd love it if you guys would check it out and let me know what you think!  
_

_HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MAN, DARREN EVERETT CRISS! :D Today is such a wonderfully special day, isn't it? I thought it'd be the perfect day to update :) I hope that you all enjoy it!  
_

_One last note. There are a couple of songs in here and I did something different with them this time. If one person is singing, it's italicized. If two or more people are singing it's italicized and bold. If it's a duet and just the second person is singing, it's just in bold. I know, it sounds confusing, but I think that you'll be able to catch on quick once you see it. I'd advise finding the videos for the songs on **YouTube **to see the dances that they're doing to better visualize it in your head.  
_

_As always, I hope that you enjoy this new chapter and review responses will be at the end. Enjoy and don't forget to commet! :)  
_

* * *

Chapter 43 - One Of Us**  
**

**Kaley's POV**

"Come on, Kaley, you can do it!" Leah cheered me on as I attempted the move again.

_Why did I agree to do this? _I whined inwardly.

_Because then you will get to dance onstage with Darren,_ my subconscious reminded me. I let out a heavy sigh as I failed the apparently simple step again.

"Like this," Darren's warm voice flowed into my ear as I felt his body press up against mine. He lightly placed his hands under my arms, guiding their movements. He did the movement a few times more before taking a step back. "Now add in the steps."

Locking the arm movements in my mind, I slowly started to do the steps that accompanied them. One step. Then the next. And then the next.

"I'm doing it!" I exclaimed happily. "I'm doing it!" Suddenly, Darren was there again, easily stepping into the partnering role of the dance as he took my hands and moved in closer.

"I knew you could," he whispered in my ear. When he pulled away slightly, I could see the proud smile spreading across his lips.

"Do you think I'm ready for the stage now?" I grinned playfully.

"You were born ready," he smiled, leaning down to kiss me.

"No!" I gasped, turning my head away. "You'll ruin my make-up!"

"Zayna can do it again," Darren persisted, placing a light finger under my chin to turn my face back to him. He started leaning down again, but I quickly ducked down out of his hold.

"That poor woman has enough to deal with!" I argued, crossing my arms over my chest. "I am _not_ making her redo my make-up, thank you very much!"

"But-" Darren started to whine, taking a step towards me.

"No!" I shot him a pointed glare. "No buts! You're just going to have to wait." I couldn't help the grin that slipped onto my lips at the look that Darren was giving me. He looked like a sad little puppy who was just told that he couldn't have his favourite bone. I quickly stepped closer and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Later," I whispered, giving him a light squeeze. "I promise."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Darren whispered back, lightly kissing the top of my head. "But I think that you're still going to have to go see Zayna."

"Darren, I said-" I started to say, but he cut me off.

"Not for your make-up," he grinned mischievously. "For your _hair_!" He ruffled his hand through my hair, making me squeal with surprise.

"_Darren_!" I gasped as he darted away, out of my reach so that I couldn't hit him. "I can't believe you did that!"

"You should hurry up and find Zayna," he chuckled, grinning widely. "Show goes up in twenty minutes!" I shot him an angry glare before turning on my heel and storming out the door.

I wasn't really mad. I could even care less about how my hair or make-up looked. But there was a reason why I didn't want to kiss Darren.

_"You guys kiss all the time!" Leah commented. "Like __**seriously**__, it's like every single time that you're together, you're locking lips __**at least **__once. Ever heard of over the top?"_

_"I can't help it," I shrugged. "He's just so kissable! I just look at him and see how completely adorable he is and I can't help but __**want**__ to kiss him. Plus, he's __**such**__ a good kisser!" _

_"Just be careful," Leah sighed. "Too much kissing isn't good for you. You need to allow for some space there in your relationship."_

_"Fine," I sighed as well. "I'll try."_

And so there I was, walking down the hallway to the make-up department to see Zayna, my lips still kiss-free. I knew that Darren might be a little upset that I wouldn't let him kiss me, but I also knew that Leah was right. We did kiss a lot.

_That's something that we're going to have to work on,_ I sighed as I stopped before the closed door. I quickly knocked on it, and entered when granted access.

"Hi, Kaley," Zayna smiled, looking up at me. "Oh dear! What happened to your hair?"

"Darren," I laughed. The older woman smiled and nodded in understanding.

"And you would think after all the time I spend on his hair that he would be a bit more respectful of others' hair too," Zayna sighed, picking up a hair brush and signaling for me to sit down in the chair in front of her, which I did. She carefully ran the brush through my hair, smiling as it moved through it smoothly. "You have such nice hair. I wish I could have gotten to work on it longer."

"Thanks," I grinned. "My hairdresser that I had back in Canada said the same thing. She loved working with my hair."

"Well, if you ever need anyone to do your hair, don't hesitate to call me," Zayna replied, handing me a small business card. "I can't believe this is actually the last show. I feel like I've fallen in love with this group. They're all so professional, no drama, no hassle."

"I know what you mean," I sighed. "It's going to be weird not seeing them all everyday. They've all become so special to me, like part of my family. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself after this."

"You're going to get your butt working on that novel of yours," Leah's voice entered the room. I looked up into the mirror and caught her leaning against the door in the reflection.

"Oh, you write?" Zayna asked enthusiastically.

"Yeah, kind of," I shrugged. "Trying to, at least. I'm not very good."

"Bull crap!" Leah exclaimed. "You are an amazing writer! You just need to stop procrastinating and start writing!"

"I have writer's block!" I objected.

"Again I say, bull crap!" Leah retorted. "I know for a fact that you have a thousand ideas bouncing around in that head of yours. I've seen your idea journal. You've got the ideas. You just need to push yourself to make them into stories."

"I hate it when you're right," I grumbled.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Leah asked, smirking proudly.

"Oh you heard me," I retorted. "And I'm not saying it twice."

"You two are just adorable!" Zayna laughed. "I can see why you're such good friends."

"The best," I grinned, exchanging a glance with Leah.

"Okay, you are done!" Zayna announced. I looked at myself in the mirror, turning my head from side to side. My hair was pulled back into a high pony, just like the Cheerios on _Glee_.

"Do you want me to fix yours up too?" Zayna asked Leah, who nodded and quickly took over my spot on the chair.

"You go get your costume on," Leah ordered. "I put it in Darren's change room, along with your other outfits. Don't worry, they're labeled for each number."

"Alright," I replied, heading for the door. "Thanks for fixing my hair, Zayna! You're the best!"

"Anytime, hun!" she laughed. "Feel free to come back between songs and I'll change your hair for you."

"Okay," I smiled. "I will see you later then."

As I walked out the door, I glanced down at my watch.

_6:48_

I had twelve minutes to go get changed.

_Well, technically I have a little bit longer, _I quickly reminded myself. _We're not on until the third number._ Even so, I still hurried down the hallway and into Darren's dressing room. Thankfully, he wasn't there. _Can't have him messing up my hair again. I still can't believe that he did that! For being twenty-five, he sure can act like a five-year-old!_

I quickly found the rack that Leah had placed my costumes on, getting giddy as I touched the first one in front of me, the one that I had to put on now. It was a red and white Cheerios uniform. I was going to be a _Cheerio_.

_Okay, it's official,_ I grinned to myself. _I have the best job ever.  
_

* * *

**Darren's POV**

I just couldn't understand why Kaley wouldn't kiss me. Everything was fine between us earlier.

_Did I do something wrong?_ I wondered. I knew that the excuse about the make-up was just that, an excuse. Kaley never cared about make-up, or her hair, so that's why I purposefully messed up her hair. I was able to catch the one second of pure shock and amusement in her eyes before she quickly covered it with a mock anger, proving that something was up.

I knew that asking Leah would probably be pointless as she wouldn't be likely to spill on her best friend's secret, so instead, I turned to the next closest source.

"Hey, Chris?" I called out, making him turn his attention away from Leah, whom he was going over dance steps with. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" I glanced over at Leah, then back to Chris and gave him a look that implied that I wanted to talk to him alone. He gave me a small nod to show that he understood before turning back to Leah.

"I think that you are more than ready for the show," Chris smiled at her. "Why don't you go find Kaley and see if she needs any more help with the dances?" Leah raised an eyebrow at him, half in surprise and half suspiciously, but nodded, quickly leaving us alone in the room.

"So," Chris said, turning back to me. "What is so secretive that you want to talk to me alone about?"

"Has Leah said anything to you about Kaley?" I asked nervously. A slight smirk rose to his lips.

"Because she won't kiss you?" he asked.

"You know something," I replied, narrowing my eyes at him suspiciously. "What do you know?"

"I know a lot of thing," he replied nonchalantly.

"Chris!" I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. "That's not what I meant!"

"Darren, you know that I'm just teasing," he giggled. "And honestly? You have nothing to worry about. Kaley's not losing interest in you and you didn't do anything wrong." He quickly glanced around to be sure that we were alone before he slowly leaned in close and whispered, "Don't tell her that I said this, but you can blame Leah for this."

"Leah?" I echoed in surprise. "Why?"

"Well, she's the one that told Kaley that you guys kiss too much," Chris explained. "Kaley must have taken it to heart and that's why she refused to kiss you."

"Leah's just jealous," I joked. "She's mad that she doesn't have someone that she can kiss all the time."

"Uh, y-yeah, that must be why," Chris stuttered, a slight blush rising to his cheeks.

"What's wrong?" I asked, tilting my head to the side slightly.

"Nothing!" Chris replied quickly. "I, uh, gotta go, uh, finish getting ready."

Before I could say anything else, he quickly dashed out of the room.

_Well that was weird,_ I thought to myself. _On both counts... So Leah thinks that we kiss too much, huh? Well I don't. And I think that it's time to get back what I want... Though I might just need a little help with it..._

I quickly pulled out my phone, easily finding her name in my contacts list.

Me: _Hey Lea, I need your help with something...  
_

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

My heart pounded heavily in my chest. I glanced over at Leah who stood beside me with an eager and excited expression on her face. I'm sure that I must have looked pale with terror.

_How on earth did she convince me to do this with her?_ I wondered as I turned my attention back on the stage in front of me where Cory was singing. The number was almost over. And then we were on.

Of the twenty-nine numbers in the show, we were going to do four of them, stepping in for some of the regular dancers, who were actually relieved to have the night off.

"Are you guys ready?" Heather asked, coming to stand beside us. She had a huge smile on her face and looked like she was excited and ready for her number.

"_Yes_!" Leah exclaimed quietly, bouncing excitedly on the spot. Leah loved to dance and I was excited for her to finally get to see one of her dreams come true: to perform onstage in front of a large audience. I, on the other hand, was not so thrilled to go on. I was not a very good dancer and I was afraid that I was going to mess to and embarrass myself in front of the huge crowd watching.

The lights of the stage suddenly went out, signaling our cue to go on. Leah grabbed my hand and gave it a tight, excited squeeze as we started to move out onto the stage and into our positions. I took a deep breath and quickly sent up a prayer that I would remember all of the choreography and not screw up royally.

Suddenly, the lights were on and Heather, along with the other back up dancers, started to sing.

_**D-I-N-O-S-A-U-R a dinosaur**_

_**D-I-N-O-S-A-U-R a dinosaur**_

_**An O-L-D M-A-N, you're just an old man**_

_**Hitting on me, what?**_

_**You need a CAT scan**_

_Old man, why are you starin' at me?_

_Mack on me and my friends it's __**kinda creepy**_

_You should be prowling around the old folks' home (__**Oh!**__)_

_Come on, dude, __**leave us alone**_

_At first we thought that it was kind of ill when_

_We saw that you were like a billion_

_And still out tryin' to make a killin'_

_**Get back to the museum**_

_**D-I-N-O-S-A-U-R a dinosaur**_

_**D-I-N-O-S-A-U-R a dinosaur**_

_**An O-L-D M-A-N, you're just an old man**_

_**Hitting on me, what?**_

_**You need a CAT scan**_

_Hey dinosaur, baby, you're prehistoric_

_Hey dinosaur, __**that's what you are, HA!**_

_Hey carnivore, you want my meat I know it_

_Hey dinosaur,__**that's what you are, HA!**_

_Yeah, you're pretty old_

_Not long 'til you're a senior citizen_

_And you can strut around with that __**sexy **__tank of oxygen_

_Honey, your toupee is falling to your left side_

_**Get up and go, bro, oh wait**_

_You're fossilized, __**HA**__!_

_You sit down, buy me a martini_

_**Won't go away**__, my hips aren't sinking_

_"__**Hey**__," you say, "__**Wanna come with me?**__"_

_**I'm about to barf, seriously?**_

_**D-I-N-O-S-A-U-R a dinosaur**_

_**D-I-N-O-S-A-U-R a dinosaur**_

_**An O-L-D M-A-N, you're just an old man**_

_**Hitting on me, what?**_

_**You need a CAT scan**_

_Hey dinosaur, baby, you're prehistoric_

_Hey dinosaur, __**that's what you are, HA!**_

_Hey carnivore, you want my meat I know it_

_Hey dinosaur, __**that's what you are, HA!**_

_Hey dinosaur, baby, you're prehistoric_

_Hey dinosaur, __**that's what you are, HA!**_

_Hey carnivore, you want my meat I know it_

_Hey dinosaur, __**that's what you are, HA!**_

_**D-I-N-O-S-A-U-R a dinosaur**_

_**D-I-N-O-S-A that's what you are, HA!**_

_**D-I-N-O-S-A-U-R a dinosaur**_

_**D-I-N-O-S-A that's what you are, HA!**_

We hit our final pose and the crowd went wild with applause. I couldn't help but beam proudly as we held the pose for a couple more seconds, waiting until the lights went out before we moved back off the stage.

"That was _amazing_!" Leah squealed quietly beside me as soon as we were offstage. "I've never felt more alive!"

"Me neither!" I replied breathlessly. I could still feel my heart pounding with adrenaline in my chest. Being out there had filled me with such a rush! "Man, I'm so glad that we didn't have to wear the dinosaur heads like they did in the show!" They had figured that it might be too hard to do that song live with the heads, as since they were hard to see out of, there was a higher risk of bumping into each other.

"Agreed!" Leah nodded. "Come on, we'd better go change! We're on again after this number!"

The next number we were going to be in was _Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)_. We were just going to be dancing in the background, adding more bodies to the stage, but it was still exciting to be sharing the stage with Amber Riley, Naya Rivera, and Heather Morris.

This dance was a lot harder than the first one, but again I managed to keep up and I couldn't help but feel like I was shining, dancing up on that stage in my long, pretty black dress. The one I was wearing was exactly like the ones they wore for this number in the show. It felt like a dream come true, like as if I was actually a part of the _Glee _world. I was one of _them_.

It seemed like all too soon the number was over and we were walking back offstage. This was the last number that we were going to be in in the first act, so I decided to go change into my first outfit for my next number in Act Two, which was actually my Cheerios outfit again.

Once changed, I decided to go back out to the stage wings to watch the rest of the first act. By the time I got back, because I had taken my time, they had already made it to the eighth song, which was Rachel Berry's famous number, _Don't Rain On My Parade_.

"You would make an _adorable _Cheerio," Darren whispered in my ear as he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind me.

"Thanks," I whispered back, smiling as I continued to watch Lea.

_Nobody, no, nobody_

_Is gonna rain on my parade!_

"That's my cue," Darren said, as the lights went out again. I felt his arms slowly slip away from my waist as he moved to go on the stage. He paused for a second before he went on and whispered, "This one's for you."

I racked my brain, trying to remember what song came on after Lea's, but came up empty. But then the music started to play and I couldn't help but smile as Chris, who was also onstage, started to sing.

_Made a wrong turn once or twice_

_Dug my way out, blood and fire_

_Bad decisions, that's alright_

_Welcome to my silly life_

_Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood_

_Miss 'No way, it's all good'_

_It didn't slow me down_

_Mistaken, always second guessing_

_Underestimated, look I'm still around_

Darren glanced over at me as he joined in with Chris for the chorus and I suddenly realized why he had dedicated the song to me.

_**Pretty, pretty please, don't you ever, ever feel**_

_**Like you're less than, less than perfect**_

_**Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel**_

_**Like you're nothing, you are perfect **_**to me**

He thought I was perfect.

_You're so mean _(**you're so mean**)

_When you talk _(**when you talk**)

_About yourself, you were wrong_

_Change the voices _(**change the voices**)

_In your head _(**in your head**)

_Make them like you instead_

_**So complicated,**_

_**Look how big you'll make it**_

_**Filled with so much hatred**_

_**Such a tired game**_

_**It's enough, I've done all I can think of**_

_**Chased down all my demons**_

_**See you do the same**_

(**Ohh ohhhhhhh**)

_**Pretty, pretty please, don't you ever, ever feel**_

_**Like you're less than, less than perfect**_

_**Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel**_

_**Like you're nothing, you are perfect**_

**The whole world's scared, so I**_** swallowed the fear**_

**The only thing I should be drinking is an **_**ice cold beer**_

**So cool in line and we **_**try try try but we try too hard**_

_**And it's a waste of my time**_

**Done looking for the critics, cause they're**_** everywhere**_

**They don't like my jeans, they don't **_**get my hair**_

**Exchange ourselves and we **_**do it all the time**_

_**Why do we do that, **_**why do I do that **_(why do I do that)?_

(**Yeah! Ooooh!**)

_Oh pretty, pretty please_

**Pretty, pretty please,**_** don't you ever, ever feel**_

_**Like you're less than, less than perfect**_

_**Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel**_

_**Like you're nothing, you are perfect to me**_

_(Pretty, pretty please, don't you ever, ever feel_

_Like you're less than less than perfect)_

**You're perfect,**_ you're perfect to me_

_**Pretty, pretty please, don't you ever, ever feel**_

_**Like you're nothing, you are perfect to me**_

Darren cast another quick glance in my direction as they finished the song and was rewarded with a sincere and heartfelt smile from me.

As soon as the lights went out, Darren was at my side in a second, pulling me into his arms.

"You are perfect," he whispered in my ear. "So perfect."

And then he was gone, hurrying off to go change for his next number. I could still feel his warm touch lingering on my skin. It was official. I was totally and utterly in love with this man.

"You're perfect too," I whispered into the empty air. "Perfect to me."

* * *

**Darren's POV**

We finally made it to intermission. I could feel myself starting to get anxious as the time for my plan to be put into action. I quickly walked back to my dressing room, pleased to find Kaley there waiting for me.

"There's my favourite Cheerio," I grinned as I walked into the room. She looked up and smiled back, quickly skipping over to give me a quick, tight hug.

"One act down, one to go," she smiled as she stepped back. "And then the encore and then that's it! Are you starting to miss it yet? Just think, you aren't going to perform those songs on this stage ever again... Well, maybe not _ever again_, but for a long while at least."

"It is a little sad," I shrugged. "But after doing as many shows as I have, you tend to get sick of doing them and can't wait to be done with them."

"I miss them already," Kaley frowned slightly. "I actually had a lot of fun doing those first two numbers. I'm sad that I only get to do two more and then that's it."

_Perfect,_ I smiled to myself.

"Well, if you want, you could come dance onstage with us during one of my numbers," I offered nonchalantly. "You don't have to worry about choreography cause everyone basically just runs around and does their own thing. Leah could be in it too, if she wants."

"I don't know..." Kaley argued. "I'm not sure if I'm allowed to-"

"Of course you're allowed to!" I exclaimed. "We're all just being goofs onstage anyways, so what's a couple more goofs to make things more fun? Besides, I would really love to have you up on stage with me. It'd be a lot of fun..."

"Alright, I'm sold," she laughed. "What number?"

"I'm gonna leave that to be a surprise," I grinned, giving her a flirty wink. "I'll have someone come get you so you know when to come on. It'll be after your next song though."

"But what about costume?" she asked, tilting her head to the left slightly. "What would I wear?"

"You can wear your normal clothes," I replied. "Nothing really fancy. There's no formal outfit for it. It's just all fun."

"Alright, if you say so..." Kaley caved. "Shouldn't you be getting changed?"

"Oh, right!" I laughed, quickly pulling my shirt up over my head.

"I'll never get tired of this," I heard Kaley comment as I turned away to get my _Born This Way_ t-shirt.

_Good,_ I thought. _I never want you to. _

I quickly pulled the shirt on and turned back to face her.

"Shall we?" I asked, gesturing towards the door.

"Alright," she nodded, linking her arm through mine. We quickly made our way back to the stage where everyone else was waiting.

"_Ohmygosh, Leah_!" Kaley exclaimed softly. I looked at her to see a shocked expression on her face. Then I turned to look at Leah.

She was in a tight, sequenced black spandex suit.

"Why aren't you in your Cheerios outfit?" Kaley whispered to her in alarm. "And why are you in _that_?"

"Because I'm not doing that number anymore," Leah grinned, glancing over at Chris, who was wearing a very similar outfit. "I'm doing the _Single Ladies_ number with Chris instead."

"You're _what_?!" Kaley gasped.

"You heard me," Leah grinned proudly. "Jealous?"

"Of the outfit?" Kaley chuckled. "No. Of the fact that you get to dance to _Single Ladies_ with Chris? Yes. Extremely so."

"Hey, you get a song with Darren, I get one with Chris," Leah replied. "That's fair, right?"

"I guess," Kaley sighed.

"Alright, places for top of Act Two, everyone!" Vicky called out quietly.

"I gotta go get to my spot," I whispered to Kaley. "I'll see you in a few numbers."

"Okay, break a leg!" she whispered back, a small, sweet smile gracing her lips. I nodded before turning away to go to my cue spot.

_It's almost time!_ was all I could think. _I really hope that she doesn't kill me for doing this..._

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

After they did _Born This Way_, Chris and Lea did one of mine and Leah's favourite numbers, _Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead_, and it was only natural that her and I proceeded to mimic the dance off in the wings during the song. Unfortunately, we did not have any hats or broomsticks, so we had to wing it without them, but we still had fun trying.

All too soon the number was over and the lights were out. And then it was show time for me. Darren was entering from the other side of the stage this time, so I wouldn't get to see him before I went on.

Taking a deep breath, I followed the other "Cheerios" out onto the stage and got into position. A single spotlight suddenly fell on the stage, landing on Darren as the music started to play. And then he opened his mouth and started to sing.

_It's not unusual to be loved by anyone_

_It's not unusual to have fun with anyone_

_But when I see you hanging about with anyone_

_It's not unusual to see me cry,_

_I wanna' die_

The whole stage then lit up, revealing the rest of us onstage.

_It's not unusual to go out at any time_

_But when I see you out and about it's such a crime_

_If you should ever want to be loved by anyone,_

_It's not unusual it happens every day no matter what you say_

_You find it happens all the time_

As we all moved in closer to where Darren was dancing, I felt myself get shoved closer to Darren, taking the place where Naya usually danced right beside him during the number. I quickly glanced behind me to see Naya smile and wink at me.

_Oh crap, I'm doing her part!_I realized suddenly. Why hadn't I noticed it before when Darren was working on the number with me?

_Love will never do what you want it to_

_Why can't this crazy love be mine_

Everyone else suddenly broke off, leaving just me and Darren dancing side by side. He looked at me and gave me a flirty wink. Then it dawned on me. He had planned this.

_It's not unusual, to be mad with anyone_

_It's not unusual, to be sad with anyone_

_But if I ever find that you've changed at anytime_

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Darren shift towards me suddenly, so I turned my head slightly to glance at him to find that he was staring right at me.

_It's not unusual to find out that I'm in love with you_

_Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh _

_Whoa-oh_

_Whoa-oh_

_Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh_

_Whoa-oh-whoa-oh_

A thunderous applause filled the room. I quickly turned my eyes away from Darren and smiled out at the crowd. So many bright flashes were going off in front of me and I had to force myself to keep my eyes open until the lights went out. They finally did go out, though the spotlight returned to Darren and I had to take a quick step back to make sure that I was out of its light before I could exit the stage.

"Are you guys having fun tonight?" Darren asked the crowd as the rest of us got off the stage. He was quickly answered with a triumphant sound of loud screams. "Awesome! Well I hope that all of you _single ladies_ are ready for this next song..."

Beyonce's song started to play, causing another riot of screams from the crowd. Darren's light went out, giving him about three seconds to get off the stage before the lights came back on again to reveal Chris, Jenna, Heather, and Leah, along with a couple other dancers, all in spandex suits.

"You can go change into your normal clothes now," Darren whispered quickly as he almost sprinted by me. I quickly followed after him, but he was much quicker than me, having done this routine many times and was bolting back out of the dressing room by the time I got there.

"Hurry and change so you can come see me perform!" he said as he passed by me. I could hear the pleaful tone to his voice so I sighed and nodded.

"Alright, I'll be out in a minute!" I called out after him.

I went into the room and quickly found my clothes. I quickly put on the cute, light blue top that I had decided to wear today and I prayed that it wouldn't make me stand out too much. I quickly pulled on my jeans, happy to be out of that skirt. It was a little too high up for my comfort.

Once changed, I quickly made it back to the stage, just in time to see the changing of the numbers. Darren was glancing around wildly, like as if he was looking for something. Then his eyes landed on me and he relaxed and smiled. Then, he turned around and followed Lea out onto the stage.

"I can't believe that the bottle landed on you!" Lea exclaimed as they stumbled out onto the stage. She was holding a small glass bottle in her hand.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Darren replied. "I mean, it's just a game, right? You can back out if you want."

"Nuh-uh!" Lea shook her head. "You come here, Blaine Warbler. I am going to rock your world!" She suddenly grabbed him by the collar and pressed her lips against his. Though the kiss was rather sloppy, I couldn't help the burning feeling of jealousy bubbling in the pit of my stomach.

_It's okay,_ I told myself. _They're just acting. It's part of their job._

"Whoa!" Darren gaped as they broke apart after their overly long kiss.

"I think I just found myself a new duet partner!" Lea exclaimed. "Hit it!"

The music started to play and I felt my heart sink in my chest. It was _our _song. The first song that Darren and I had ever sung together. It just felt so wrong to see them singing it together.

"I can't watch this," I said quietly, turning away from the stage. I had never really felt so jealous like this before. It was weird how strong it was.

I quickly wandered out into the back hallway, not really sure where to go. I didn't want to go too far because Darren hadn't told me which song I was going on for, so I didn't want to miss it, but at the same time, I didn't want to be close enough that I could hear them singing.

"Kaley!" Leah exclaimed from behind me, making me turn towards her. "What are you doing back here?! You're supposed to be in the wings!"

"I didn't want to listen to them singing our song," I explained. Leah just shook her head, quickly grabbing me by the arm and pulling me back towards the stage.

"Now is no time to be jealous!" she scolded. "We're on next!"

"We are?" I replied.

"Did no one tell you?" she asked, puzzled.

"No," I shook my head. "Darren said he wanted it to be a surprise."

"Opps," Leah blushed. "Well, surprise!"

By this time, we had made it back to the wings and had to quiet down. Thankfully, the song was almost done.

Leah noticed Chris standing over close to the stage, hiding off to the side so that he wouldn't be seen, so she led me over to him.

"Hey," Chris whispered, smiling as he saw us. "You ready?"

"Yep," Leah smiled back.

"I guess," I shrugged. "No one told me what I was doing."

"Darren wanted to surprise you," Chris replied as the song ended. "Oh, and that's my cue! See you in a few!"

Chris suddenly skipped out onto the stage, meeting with Darren in the middle as Lea headed over towards where we were offstage.

"Well, that was interesting," Chris was saying to Darren. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah," Darren sighed dreamily. "Actually, I'm thinking about asking Rachel out on a date."

"_What_?" Chris exclaimed. "But she's a _girl_! And aren't _we_ dating?"

"Well, I don't know..." Darren frowned. "When we kissed... it felt good. I don't know, maybe I'm bi or something."

"Blaine, you are _not _bi!" Chris argued.

"I could be!" Darren argued back. "And I'll prove it!" He suddenly turned around and looked towards us. "Rachel! Can you come back out here! I need you to prove a point!"

But Lea didn't appear.

I turned around to see where she went, only to find her standing right behind me.

"Have fun!" she whispered, suddenly shoving me.

Onto the stage.

* * *

**Darren's POV**

"Rachel! Can you come back out here! I need you to prove a point!"

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. Here it was. The moment of truth. Would Lea do it?

And then there she was, looking completely startled and shocked after stumbling out onto the stage.

"Oh! You there!" I called out to her. "You'll do. Can you come here for a minute?" Kaley slowly turned to us, blinking in surprise. It took a second before she finally moved towards us, stopping to stand awkwardly between Chris and me. Her eyes were wide with shock and terror, making me instantly feel bad for doing this.

_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea,_ I thought to myself. _But it's too late. I'm in too deep to back out now. _

"I hope you don't mind, but..." I suddenly reached out and cupped her cheeks before slowly leaning down and pressing my lips to hers. There was a slight bit of resistance at first before she quickly melted into the kiss. I knew that I should break it off, but I really didn't want to... But, I knew I had to.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed, breaking away from the kiss and widening my eyes.

"Well?" Chris asked, raising his eyebrows at me. I glanced between him and Kaley before I sighed and blushed slightly.

"You were right," I replied sheepishly. "I'm definitely gay. One hundred percent gay."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Chris exclaimed, suddenly throwing his arms around me and pressing his lips against mine. Normally, I didn't mind kissing Chris as he was a pretty good kisser, but this time I felt a weird churning in my stomach. A weird, sinking feeling. I had felt the same thing when Lea had kissed me earlier, so the fact that I was feeling it now confirmed by feelings. I felt guilty kissing anyone else but Kaley. Kaley was the only one I felt right kissing.

_Oh crap! She's still right there!_

I quickly pulled away from Chris, making sure not to make it too quick or obvious. Though it hadn't been a long kiss, I still felt guilty, especially because we had done it right in front of Kaley.

"I'm sorry for scaring you like that, Kurt," I said, pulling myself back into character. "But you know, crazy things can happen when you're drunk. Our next song, written by one of my idols, Katy Perry, definitely agrees with that!"

The music for the song started to play and I quickly slung my arm around Kaley as I started to sing, "_There's a stranger in my bed. There's a pounding my head. Glitter all over the room. Pink flamingos in the pool." _I reluctantly moved away from Kaley, quickly noticing Leah move forward to her side. She still looked slightly stunned, like as if she hadn't fully processed what had just happened. I quickly snapped myself out of it, returning my attention back to the song as I danced around the stage.

_I smell like a minibar_

_DJ's passed out in the yard_

_Barbie's on the barbeque_

_This a hickey or a bruise?_

_Pictures of last night_

_Ended up online_

_I'm screwed_

_Oh well_

_It's a blacked out blur_

_But I'm pretty sure it ruled_

_D***!_

_Last Friday night_

_Yeah we danced on tabletops_

_And we took too many shots_

_Think we kissed but I forgot_

_Last Friday night_

_Yeah we maxed our credit cards_

_And got kicked out of the bar_

_So we hit the Boulevard_

_Last Friday night_

_We went streaking in the park_

_Skinny dipping in the dark_

_Then had a menage a trois_

_Last Friday night_

_Yeah I think we broke the law_

_Always say we're gonna stop-op_

_Whoa-oh-oah_

_This Friday night_

_Do it all again_

_This Friday night_

_Do it all again_

I snuck another quick peek over at Kaley, who had seemed to have settled down a bit and was dancing along to the song with everyone else. I couldn't help but smile as I looked at her. Though what I had done maybe hadn't been the wisest of choices, I knew in my heart that if I had the chance, I would _do it all again_.

* * *

_A/N: Sooooooooooo :) What'd ya think? Did you like it? I hope so :D I cannot wait to see your reactions! :)_

_**Liveforblueandredties**: Thank you so much! You flatter me! *blushes* Oh that moment is already planned out in my head and it's gonna be a good one. A totally movie worthy moment :-p  
_

_**nomorecandles**: Yah, Jordan wasn't really planned... he just kind of happened haha but it adds a fun new twist :-p  
_

_**jazzhandz**: I love how adorable their relationship is too! They seriously portray everything that I want to have in a relationship someday :D  
_

_**alicegursk**: Yah, Jordan is creepy O.o" I'm apparently really good at writing creepy characters haha :) And so much fluffy feelsy goodness! :D  
_

_**laemmermeier96**: Thank you! I'm so glad that you are enjoying it! And heck yes! Darren is SO hot! :-p  
_

_**Charleygyrl**: so adorkable :-p  
_

_**AmyRodgers**: I'm so thrilled that you do! Thank you so much for your support! And I guess that you'll just have to stay tuned to find out! :-p  
_

_**drobrien**: You have no idea how much it warms my heart to hear you say that :) Seeing people love and support a story that means so much to me is a dream come true :)  
_

_**jennanderton78**: I'm glad and you're right :-p  
_

_**Penelope Elizabeth Anne Snape**: I guess we'll just have to wait and see about Jordan :-p And as for things that can happen to Kaley... well, things aren't always bright and shiny. That's all I'm going to say :-p Chris and Kaley will always be friends, just as Daley is forever :D As for what happens post show... well, you're just going to have to wait and see :-p I will tell you one thing though. Drama is coming. Be prepared! :-p  
_

_**Guest**: THANK YOU! I'm so glad you like it! :D  
_

_Thank to you everyone and your lovely and heartwarming comments! You are all so amazing and make me smile :D Until next time! Lots of love on this wondrous day celebrating the birth of the greatest being ever to grace this earth! :D  
_


	44. Chapter 44: Anything Could Happen

_A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the delay! Been a busy past couple of weeks for me! But finally have a new chapter up! Yay! Thank you for continuing to support me and this story even when it takes me forever to update :p_

_Huge thank yous and welcomes to my new followers: **Carojoy4210**, **MirrorSpirit19**, **milkyourpigs**, **Edward Cullen's Girl**, & **Jessic****aHa****ymaker**. I'm so happy to have you in our lovely, ever growing family! Thank you also to those of you who favourited: **Carojoy4210**, **valeriya-grishko**, **harleyquinn2587**, **JessicaHaymaker**, & **Lettizz**. _

_Your support and love of my story seriously just warms my heart. This is seriously a dream come true having so many people love my work. Love and hugs to you all!_

_Enjoy! :)_

* * *

Chapter 44 ~ Anything Could Happen 

**Kaley's POV**

I was going to kill him.

As soon as we got off the stage, Darren very quickly made himself scarce until the end of the show. He was lucky that he did.

I was so torn. I didn't know if I should smack him upside the head or kiss him again. I honesty didn't know how to feel. Part of me was so mad that he did that, but yet part of me was swooning at the fact that he had kissed me so publicly.

Though people already knew about our relationship, we had never actually come out publicly as being a couple. We had never really discussed when we were going to, or even _if _we were going to, because neither of us really cared. It didn't matter.

_Well, if they weren't sure before, they definitely will be now_! I sighed to myself. I could already picture how the fan sites would flood with pictures of the kiss. A part of me was tempted to check _Twitter _and _Tumblr_ later to see if I was right.

Darren's outfits for the rest of the show were missing from his dressing room. That was the first thing that I noticed once I got there.

_Well played, Darren, _I chuckled to myself. He had made sure that I wouldn't be able to catch him off-guard when he came back to change.

Instead of pointlessly waiting for him in that room, I decided to go wander the hallways, eventually finding myself back in the stage wings, watching the show. They were in the middle of doing _Loser Like Me_. It had always been one of my favourite songs. I absolutely loved how they threw cups full of confetti at the audience at the end.

_I wonder what it feels like to actually get slushied,_ I thought as I watched Darren take a cup from one of the stagehands. He looked like he was having a lot of fun out there.

"_**You wanna be, you wanna be, a loser like me!**_" the whole cast sang as they tossed their cups' contents at the audience, who let out ecstatic screams.

And then the lights went out and everyone hurried off the stage. I could already hear the chants for "Encore! Encore!" starting. I watched as Lea and Dianna quickly took sips of water before moving back out onto the stage where two stools now sat. The music for _Pretty/Unpretty_ started to play and the audience screamed with excitement as the lights went back on.

There was such a rush in just watching a show like this. Watching the audience's reactions, hearing their screams. It brought back memories of when I used to perform. I never got applauses like these, but I still had gotten the standing ovations and thunderous applause. I kind of wondered what my life would have been like if I had pursued acting and performing instead of writing.

_As fun as this would be,_ I decided. _I still wouldn't change a thing. Writing is my true passion. _

"Hey, are you still coming on for Kevin's number?" Leah asked, suddenly appearing beside me.

"Oh! Right!" I exclaimed, quickly hurrying back to the change room to put on my _Safety Dance_ outfit. I wasn't really sure why I was even in this number. I could barely dance to save my life, and yet they had decided to put me in a dance in which Kevin got to show off how crazily amazing he was at dancing.

_At least I'm in the back, _I smiled to myself. _That way they can't see me mess up as badly. _

I quickly rejoined Leah after changing into my pretty epic looking outfit. They were just finishing up _True Colours_ onstage and then we were on.

"I'm going to butcher this so badly," I whispered to Leah.

"Oh hush!" she scolded. "You'll be fine!"

"Says the Queen of Dance," I mumbled. She just rolled her eyes at me before doing a few stretches to loosen her muscles before going on. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to prepare myself for this dance.

_Ok, _I slowly opened my eyes. _Let's get this train wreck over with.  
_

* * *

**Darren's POV**

She looked so adorable up there onstage, trying so hard to keep up with the other dancers around her. Though she wasn't the best dancer, I still couldn't help but feel extremely proud of her for going out there and at least trying. She looked like she was enjoying it too, even if she was struggling slightly to keep up.

"I don't understand why Leah didn't go into something for dancing," Chris commented from beside me. "She picks things up so quickly and executes them _flawlessly_. She could totally make it as a dancer!"

"Maybe she prefers working behind the scenes?" I suggested, my eyes flickering over to where Leah was dancing onstage. Chris was right. She was performing each of the moves flawlessly.

"Do you not see her out there?" Chris exclaimed. "She _owns _the stage! She was born to dance! Not work backstage! No, she _deserves _to shine!"

"I know what you mean," I sighed, my eyes falling back on Kaley again. She had an amazing voice, but she hardly ever sang. The first time that I had heard her sing had also been the last, which bothered me. It had been over a week since I had last heard her sing. She could totally make it as a performer, but she didn't believe in herself enough to go for it.

The lights on the stage suddenly dimmed, signalling that the number was over. I looked up in time to see Kaley coming off the stage and heading straight towards me. I wasn't sure how she was going to react, so I quickly prepared myself to be ready to take a step back, should I need to.

"You're in trouble, _mister_!" she whispered once she was close enough, narrowing her eyes at me. Behind her on the stage, Chris, Amber, Jenna, Kevin, Lea, and Cory had started to sing, _Don't Stop Believin'_. They thought that it would be fun to have the song start with the original cast members and have the others join in as the song progressed.

Chris would come grab me, Lea would grab Mark, Cory would grab Dianna, Jenna would grab Harry, Amber would grab Chord, and Kevin would grab Naya and Heather. It was showing how the original six pulled the rest of the members into the club, how the family was created.

"I know, I'm sorry!" I whispered back, glancing over her shoulder to see where they were in the song. They were almost through with the first verse, and then Chris would be coming to get me.

"You can punish me later," I said, moving to pass her. "Right now, I've got a show to do." As I passed by her, she gently reached out and grabbed my hand.

"Have fun," she whispered, her touch and soft words making pleasurable shivers run up and down my spine. "Last song. Make it count!"

_Oh, I will, _I thought with a smile.

"Thanks," I grinned, giving her hand a light squeeze before letting go. I turned away just in time to see Chris coming towards me. He held out his hand to me and I quickly slid my hand into his, allowing him to pull me out onto the stage. Screams filled the room as the audience saw us together. The fans went crazy over anything Klaine related or, in some people's fantasies, anything CrissColfer related.

**A singer in a smokey room**

_The smell of wine and cheap perfume_

_**For a smile they can share the night**_

_**It goes on and on and on and on**_

_**Strangers waiting**_

_**Up and down the boulevard**_

_**Their shadows searchin' in the night**_

_**Streetlight, people**_

_**Livin' just to find emotion**_

_**Hidin' somewhere in the night**_

I quickly joined in singing the song as we all danced around the stage. On a final, spur-of-the-moment idea, I grabbed Chris' hand again and pulled him back off stage with me, letting go to grab Kaley's hand and pull her out onto the stage with me. Chris quickly caught on to my idea and grabbed Leah's hand as well, leading her out onto the stage behind us.

I felt Kaley's grip tighten on mine as we stepped out onto the stage. She was right. This was the last song and we had to make it count. And I wanted to make it count with her.

I let go of her hand once we were about mid-stage and started to clap my hands along with everyone else and do a fun little step dance on the spot. Chris and Leah stopped beside us and joined in as well. I glanced over at Kaley to see a bright, happy smile lighting up her face as she clapped. I nudged her gently, motioning for her to copy me, and then started to do the trademark Warbler dance step. She laughed softly as she quickly copied my actions.

The last round of the chorus came way too quickly as suddenly we were all lined up across the stage, getting ready for the final pose.

_**Don't stop believin'**_

_**Hold on to that feelin'**_

_**Streetlight, people**_

_**Don't stop believin'**_

_**Hold on to that feelin'**_

_**Streetlight, people**_

_**Don't stop**__!_

We all struck a final pose as the whole theatre blacked out. The room was instantly filled with the screams of the fans and a thunderous applause. There were multiple flashes of cameras going off, blinding us in the darkness. I quickly took Kaley's hand as we started to move back off the stage, guiding her in our blinded state.

As soon as we got offstage, I turned back to ask Kaley what she thought of the show tonight, but was stopped short as her hand smacked across my face.

"_Ow_!" I exclaimed, cupping my hand over my now tender cheek protectively. "What was that for?"

"That," she replied, placing her hands on her hips. "was for kissing me onstage."

I was flabbergasted. I never actually thought that she would slap me for doing that. I thought that she had actually liked it.

But my thoughts were quickly wiped away as she stepped closer and pressed her lips to mine.

"And that," she whispered as she pulled away. "was for kissing me onstage."

I'll never understand women.

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

By the time the show had ended, I still hadn't decided whether or not I was mad at Darren. So, since I couldn't decide whether to slap him or kiss him, I just did both. Darren's face afterwards was priceless.

"What?" he exclaimed, looking adorably confused.

I opened my mouth to reply, but stopped as an arm slung around each of our shoulders.

"Guys!" Mark exclaimed. "Why aren't you changed yet? You are coming to the after party, aren't you?"

"After party?" I raised an eyebrow at him questioningly.

"Yeah!" Mark grinned. "I rented us a place! You guys _have _to come! It's gonna be so awesome!"

"What do you think?" Darren asked, turning to me. "Do you want to go?"

I took a moment to think over my options. On one hand, this would be the last time that I'd get to hang out with the whole _Glee _cast. But on the other, this was one of the last nights that I had with Darren before he went back to L.A...

_But,_ my subconscious argued. _You're still going to see and talk to Darren all the time, even after he goes back. How many other times are you going to see Mark or Lea? Plus, you have all of tomorrow to spend with Darren..._

"Okay, we'll come," I smiled, giving them my decision.

"Yes!" Mark cheered, pumping his fist up into the air. "Go get changed then! I've got a car waiting out front!"

"Yes, Sir!" I laughed, taking Darren's hand again and leading him away towards the dressing rooms.

"Hey, Leah!" I called out as I spotted her about to go into Chris' dressing room. She turned around in surprise, but relaxed after a second.

"H-Hey, Kaley," she smiled. "What are you guys up to?"

"Going to change, then going to Mark's party," I replied, smiling as well. "Are you and Chris coming?"

"Umm, I don't know..." she replied slowly, glancing back at the doorway she had been about to go through. "I still have to help pack all of the costumes up so they can load them onto the truck..."

"You don't have to worry about that," a voice behind us said. We all turned around to find Vicky walking towards us. "I was just coming to find you girls to tell you that you don't have to worry about staying tonight. I know that there was talk about a party and I know that you both are probably wanting to go, so don't worry about the costumes. We can cover it here." A big smile spread across her face. "Go, have fun. And I'll hopefully see you guys at the next show!"

"Definitely!" Leah beamed happily. I knew that what Vicky said would mean a lot to her. She basically just told Leah that she would hire her back on to do another show. For Leah, it was a dream come true.

"Thank you," I said, stepping forward and putting my arms around her waist and hugging her tightly. "For everything. This has been such an experience."

"It was a pleasure having you two," Vicky laughed, returning the embrace. Once I let go, she pulled Leah in for a hug as well. "Now, go along to your party and have fun!"

"Thank you!" we said in unison, turning away to go into our dressing rooms.

"Anytime, girls," she laughed. "Anytime."

* * *

**Darren's POV**

I could tell that Kaley was excited. She didn't have to say it. I could just tell by the way that her knee would not stop bouncing up and down. Then again, it could be the adrenaline rush from meeting fans just a few minutes prior. Mark had had the great idea to have the limos he had rented pick us up in front of the theatre, where all of the fans were still waiting, hoping to catch glimpses of us. As Kaley and I walked out of the building, the whole crowd went chaotic.

"_Darren_!" the fans screamed instantly when we walked outside, holding hands. I hadn't expected there to be so many. I felt Kaley squeeze my hand tightly, so I returned the gesture before slipping my hand out of hers to go over to talk to the fans. The second I reached them, papers and posters were being held out to me and so many camera flashes went off in my eyes. I just laughed it off though. If I was in their shoes, I'm sure that I'd be pretty ecstatic too.

I had signed a couple of posters before I heard it.

"_Kaley_!" a group of girls screamed, trying to get her attention. I glanced over at her to see her turning towards the girls in surprise. She blinked a couple of times before glancing over at me. I gave her an encouraging smile and nodded towards the girls, telling her to go over to them. She slowly did so, moving almost cautiously towards them. I couldn't blame her though. She didn't know what to expect.

She seemed surprised when posters and papers were held out to her. She hesitated for a moment before taking one of the markers held out to her and scribbling her signature down on one of the items being extended towards her. I quickly smiled for a picture before sneaking another glance over at her. She was smiling and talking to the girls as she signed their things, even pausing to take a few pictures with some of them. She was doing really well for her first time.

"Is it true that you and Kaley are dating?" the question caught me off guard. I turned to look at the girl who had asked that and smiled. I opened my mouth to answer, but then paused. Should I tell them the truth? Was Kaley ready for that big of a step? I know that I had kissed her onstage, but I could just play that off as being in character. But I didn't want to play it off as being nothing, because it meant something to me.

"Why don't you tell me," I finally answered, giving her a little wink before turning away and walking over to Kaley. She was smiling and laughing at something that one of the girls had said, so I quietly snuck up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, casually resting my chin on her shoulder.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we've gotta get going," I said, smiling at the girls. "The car's waiting and I think that Mark is getting impatient." Sure enough, when we glanced over at the waiting limo, Mark was standing there with an "are you coming?" look on his face.

"Alright," Kaley smiled, handing the marker in her hand back to one of the girls. "It was really nice to meet you. Thank you for coming out tonight and supporting the show!"

And with that, I slowly withdrew my arms, sliding my hand into hers as we turned away and walked towards the limo.

"_Finally_!" Mark exclaimed as we slid into the backseat. He followed us into the vehicle, making our car have seven passengers in total: me, Kaley, Chris, Leah, Mark, Lea, and Cory. It did not go unnoticed that Lea and Cory were holding hands.

"Told you!" Chris whispered in my ear. "I totally called them getting together." I just rolled my eyes at him.

The ride to the place that Mark had rented took about half an hour to get to. Actually, I wasn't really sure exactly how long it took, because whenever I was with Kaley, time just didn't seem to matter.

"Party time!" Mark declared as he got out of the limo. We laughed as we followed him out, pausing for a moment to see where we were.

The place was almost like a little condo. Small and private enough for our party, but big and excluded enough that we could have fun and not worry about disturbing the neighbours with our noise.

We quickly followed Mark inside to find a large room with a huge dance floor, a small stage, and a jukebox/karaoke machine.

_I'll have to get Kaley to sing something with me tonight,_ I thought to myself with a smile. I glanced over at Kaley to find her looking at the karaoke machine. _And maybe she's thinking about it too. _

"Let's get this party started!" Mark declared, holding up a couple beer bottles in his hands. He started to pass them around but when he got to me and Kaley, I waved him off.

"I'd like to be able to enjoy my day tomorrow," I laughed. "Not spend it hung over in bed!"

"One drink won't get you hammered!" Mark argued.

"Maybe not," I shrugged. "But one drink always leads to two drinks, then three drinks and so on and so forth. I think my chances are better if I don't risk it at all." I looked at Kaley and smiled. "I want my last day here to be memorable, _special_."

The smile that Kaley gave me was worth my decision. She looked at me with awe and adoration, her eyes softening with passion as she stared at me.

"Fine," Mark pouted, interrupting our moment. "I think there are some nonalcoholic drinks at the bar then."

"I'll go see what I can find us to drink," Kaley said, slipping away from me.

"When are you going to tell her?" Chris' voice asked as he came to stand beside me.

"Tell her what?" I asked, turning my gaze away from Kaley at the bar to look at Chris.

"That you're head over heels in love with her," Chris smiled. I blushed slightly at his words because they were true. I was head over heels in love with her.

"Soon," I smiled as well. "I'm planning out an actual date for next weekend when I come back to see her. We've never actually been on one yet, since we've been so busy with the show."

"What about your ice cream date?" Chris argued.

"That wasn't a date!" I rolled my eyes at him. "It was just two friends hanging out and getting to know each other better."

"Darren, it was a date," Chris stated.

"No, it was- Oh, never mind!" I exclaimed. "Fine, I want to take her on a _real _date, like out for dinner, a romantic carriage ride through Central Park, stuff like that. And then I'll tell her how I feel. I only hope that she feels the same way..."

"Darren, are you _that _daft?" Chris exclaimed, looking at me with a dumbfounded expression. "Of course she feels the same! How can you not see that? It's all over her face whenever she looks at you!" I quickly glanced back over at the bar to see if what Chris said was true, but couldn't see Kaley anywhere.

"Here are your drinks, boys," Leah announced, coming up to us and holding out a couple cans of soda, diet cola for Chris, of course.

"Where's Kaley?" I asked, trying to look around behind Leah to see where she might have gone.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Leah grinned, nodding towards something behind me. I spun around and instantly smiled as I spotted Kaley.

Up on the stage.

"I'd like to dedicate this song to my incredible boyfriend, Darren," she grinned, locking eyes with me. "This song really reflects what it was like when I first met you." She nodded towards Lea, who pushed the start button on the karaoke machine. I instantly recognized the song the second the music started to play and I couldn't help but chuckle. It certainly was the perfect song to describe our first meeting.

_I threw a wish in the well_

_Don't ask me, I'll never tell_

_I looked to you as it fell_

_And now you're in my way_

I couldn't resist to urge to go up onstage and sing with her, so I quickly grabbed a mic and took over the next part of the song before she could sing it.

**I'd trade my soul for a wish**

**Pennies and dimes for a kiss**

**I wasn't looking for this**

**But now you're in my way**

She quickly joined back in with me on the song, a huge smile blooming across her face.

_**Your stare was holdin'**_

_**Ripped jeans, skin was showin'**_

_**Hot night, wind was blowin'**_

_**Where you think you're going, baby?**_

_**Hey, I just met you**_

_**And this is crazy**_

_**But here's my number**_

_**So call me maybe**_

_**It's hard to look right**_

_**At you, baby**_

_**But here's my number**_

_**So call me, maybe?**_

_**Hey, I just met you**_

_**And this is crazy**_

_**But here's my number**_

_**So call me maybe**_

_**And all the other girls**_

**Try to chase me**

_**But here's my number**_

_**So call me, maybe?**_

**You took your time with the call**

**I took no time with the fall**

**You gave me nothing at all**

**But still, you're in my way**

_I beg, and borrow and __**steal **_(she nudged me slightly at this part and winked at me playfully)

_At first sight and it's real_

_I didn't know I would feel it_

_But it's in my way_

_**Your stare was holdin'**_

_**Ripped jeans, skin was showin'**_

_**Hot night, wind was blowin'**_

_**Where you think you're going, baby?**_

_**Hey, I just met you**_

_**And this is crazy**_

_**But here's my number**_

_**So call me maybe**_

_**It's hard to look right**_

_**At you, baby**_

_**But here's my number**_

_**So call me, maybe?**_

_**Hey, I just met you**_

_**And this is crazy**_

_**But here's my number**_

_**So call me maybe**_

_**And all the other girls**_

**Try to chase me**

_**But here's my number**_

_**So call me, maybe?**_

_Before you came into my life_

_I missed you so bad_

_I missed you so bad_

_I missed you so, so bad_

_**Before you came into my life**_

_**I missed you so bad**_

_**And you should know that**_

_**I missed you so, so bad**_

_It's hard to look right_

_At you, baby_

**But here's my number**

**So call me, maybe?**

_**Hey, I just met you**_

_**And this is crazy**_

_**But here's my number**_

_**So call me maybe**_

_**And all the other girls**_

**Try to chase me**

_**But here's my number**_

_**So call me, maybe?**_

_**So call me, maybe?**_

"Definitely describes how we met," I grinned, nuzzling her nose with mine as everyone applauded our performance.

Mark quickly took our spot on the stage, already slightly intoxicated, as we stepped down and joined Chris and Leah again.

"Before we let Lea take the stage and wow us all with her amazingness," Mark slurred. "I suggest that we play a game!" He held up an empty beer bottle. "Who's up for spin the bottle?"

A mixture of laughter and yeses filled the room. With a look of satisfaction, Mark hopped down off the stage and sat down on the floor, gesturing for us to follow his actions. I quickly sat down, tugging on Kaley's hand for her to sit down too, but she slid her hand out of mine and shook her head.

"If I sit beside you, then there's less of a chance that the bottle will land on me when you spin!" she laughed, quickly moving away and taking a seat over beside Jenna, across the circle from me. I pouted slightly at the fact that she wasn't sitting beside me, but I understood her reasonings. There was a higher chance that the bottle would land on the person across from me and not the one beside me.

Once everyone was seated, Mark placed the bottle in the middle of the circle and grinned.

"Get your lips ready, ladies," he chuckled. "Because Puckerman isn't the only one with mad kissing skills!" He quickly spun the bottle and then sat back to wait for the results. We all watched as the bottle spun around and around, finally slowing to a stop and landing on...

"Kaley!" everyone yelled as the bottle stopped on her. She blushed heavily as she glanced over at me.

"Come here, Grant," Mark laughed, beckoning her with his finger to come closer. "This is my one chance to kiss you when your boyfriend is watching!" Kaley glanced at me again and I just rolled my eyes and smirked, letting her know that I knew that Mark was just teasing. With a sigh, she finally crawled forward into the centre of the circle where Mark was waiting for her.

"Are we going with the regular rules?" Mark asked. "The kiss has to last at least three seconds, if not longer." He winked playfully at Kaley, which made me feel slightly uncomfortable. I didn't like how he was openly flirting with her. But then again, that could be the alcohol talking.

"Regular rules," Cory nodded. "Now hurry up and kiss already! Some of us want a turn too!"

"Alright," Mark grinned. "Ready the countdown!"

He quickly leaned down and pressed his lips to Kaley's. The sight made my stomach churn uncomfortably. I didn't like the way he moved his lips over hers. These three seconds seemed to last an eternity.

"Three!" everyone shouted, signalling the end of their kiss. Kaley instantly pulled away, glancing over at me with worry in her eyes. I had told her about how I had been jealous of how Mark had been acting towards her back on her birthday and she clearly seemed worried about how I was going to react to this.

"So, who kisses better?" I asked lightheartedly, trying to lighten the mood. "Me or Mark?"

"Definitely you," she grinned. "Sorry, Mark, but you're a bit of a sloppy kisser."

"Ouch!" Mark exclaimed, clutching at his heart. "You wound be, Kaley!"

"Okay, okay!" Naya sighed. "Enough of this drama! It's your turn to spin, Kaley."

It seemed like the odds were not in our favour today as her spin landed on Cory. I didn't feel as bad this time as she kissed another guy, as this time I knew that I wasn't the only one feeling jealous. Lea was watching the two of them closely as they kissed, waiting just as impatiently as me for them to be done.

After their kiss, Cory spun and surprise! surprise! He landed on Lea. They shared a much longer than three second kiss and finally broke apart when Naya threatened to become Santana and go all Lima Heights Adjacent on them. Lea then landed on Chris, whose kiss she giggled through.

Then Chris spun and the bottle landed on Leah.

"Ooo, Chris has to kiss Leah," Kaley teased, earning herself a slight glare from Leah. "Leah's going to get another _Chris Kiss_!"

"Oh shush!" she laughed, crawling into the middle to meet Chris.

"Ready?" he asked, smiling.

"Mhmm," she nodded. He slowly leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, holding them there for the entire three counts.

"That makes my Chris Kiss count up to four now," she laughed as they broke apart. "I mean, three." She blushed heavily. "I meant to say three."

Chris gave her a quick, light peck on her lips.

"There," he grinned. "Now it's four." Everyone laughed at their playfulness. They really were too perfect for each other.

_If Chris wasn't gay, I could totally see them dating,_ I though to myself with a smile as Chris sat back down in his spot in the circle.

"Okay, your turn to spin!" Chris told her once he returned to his seat. She quickly spun it and then sat back to watch it go. Everyone laughed when they saw who it landed on.

"Come here, Leah," Chris chuckled, beckoning her from across the circle. She laughed as well as she met him in the centre again, wasting no time at all in pressing her lips to his. I don't know if it was just me, but they seemed to be almost reluctant to break apart once the countdown hit three.

Chris then took his turn again and spun and the whole room filled with laughter as the bottle landed on yours truly.

"Wow, we get to see two live Klaine kisses in one night!" Kaley exclaimed, her comment directed towards Leah.

"I don't know if I can control myself!" Leah played along, bouncing excitedly in her seat.

"Oh, shush you two!" Chris laughed. "Come here, _baby_!"

I quickly met Chris in the middle and pressed my lips to his. This action was not unusual to us as we had to do it many times when shooting a romantic Klaine scene for the show. But one thing was definitely confirmed for me as we kissed. I _totally _preferred kissing Kaley.

"Alright, loverboys," Naya announced. "Time is up! And now it's Darren's turn!"

I shot a quick glance over at Kaley, mentally crossing my fingers that it would land on her as I spun the bottle then sat back to wait. The bottle spun around and around, my heart skipping a beat each time that it passed by Kaley. It finally started to slow as it drew closer to Kaley again. When it finally stopped, the whole room fell silent. I glanced up at Kaley who looked surprised and alarmed. Then I looked at who the bottle had landed on.

Leah looked just as terrified.

* * *

_A/N: Dun dun dun duuuuuuhh! I really love cliffhangers! How do you guys think everyone is going to react? Darren has to kiss his girlfriend's best friend! How would you feel if you were in Kaley's shoes? In Leah's? In Darren's? Let me know what you think! :)_

**_AmyRodgers_**_: Thank you! And I guess this chapter would have given you your answer :-p  
_

**_Carojoy4210_**_:__In the words of Ginny Weasley (AVPM) Yeah, I'm a girl... hahah Glad that you're loving the story :) As so Chreah, if you check out my spin off, **If They Only Knew**, you'll get to see some more stuff with them :-p  
_

**_Liveforblueandredties_**_:__Thank you so much! You have no idea how it warms my heart to hear you say that this is your favourite fic :)_

**_ItsTheBlazer1105_**_:__I definitely will keep writing! So glad that you like the story! :)  
_

**_nomorecandles_**_:__I was squealing the whole time I was writing it too! That was actually an idea I've had for months and was a possible first kiss idea. But that ended up happening sooner since you guys wanted the kiss so badly :-p_

**_Charleygyrl_**_:__I know how you feel :-p I get all feelsy when I'm writing this stuff too :-p_

**_Penelope Elizabeth Anne Snape_**_:__I would just like to say how much I love getting your comments. You always give me long, detailed ones that let me know what you liked and commenting on things that happened. That seriously makes me so happy to get feedback like that :) It is comments like yours that make my day :)_

**_drobrien_**_:__Hahahah oh I adored that comment! I love seeing my readers having feelsy freaking out gleeking moments :-p And yes, he did kind of find a way to say it, didn't he? Sneaky Darren! haha :-p_

**_jennanderton78_**_:__Thank you! I love you too! :)_**_  
_**

**_Lettizz_**_:__Thank you! I'm so glad that you've joined our family and are loving this! Kaley and Darren's relationship has always been a special one to me and to hear you say that just warms my heart, so thank you :)_

_Thank you to all of you for always supporting me and my story. Your support seriously means the world to me. Without you, this experience just wouldn't be as magical :)_


	45. Chapter 45: I Kissed A Girl

_A/N: Sorry for the delay AGAIN! It's hard juggling school, work, and four different stories at once! I'm trying to get updates done every week, but it's not easy so please, bear with me! I know that I've kept you waiting in suspense for two weeks now, so here it is! The result of the spin the bottle cliffhanger! Hope you like__ it! :)_

_Thank you and welcome to new followers: **Shimoo**, **eggplants12**, **Lettizz**, **mahoganytrees**, **illegalpen**, and **AnSofiekeeeh**!  
_

* * *

Chapter 45 ~ I Kissed A Girl

**Kaley's POV**

I knew that there was a possibility that this could happen. It's spin-the-bottle. _Anything_ can happen. But this was probably the _last _thing that I wanted to happen.

Leah looked over at me nervously, trying to decipher my thoughts from the expression on my face. Though it's just a game, it's still awkward and uncomfortable to kiss your best friend's boyfriend right in front of her. Though I had kissed two of Darren's friends in front of him, it was different because they were actors and they were used to having to kiss girls that maybe had boyfriends or while they were in relationships themselves. It was part of the job.

Leah, however, had only ever kissed Chris and, let's face it, _nothing _was going to happen there, even if she and I both wanted it to for her. So Leah was about to kiss her first _straight_ boy, a boy whom she had also had a huge crush on at one point.

_What if she starts to have feelings for him again?_ I started to panic. _What if she starts to resent me for dating him because now she likes him too and then we'll fight and hate each other forever? Or what if Darren likes kissing her? What is he falls in love with her?_

Okay, I know that I might have been over thinking this, but I couldn't help it. I was a natural born worrier.

"Oh, just kiss already!" Mark exclaimed, taking another swig from his bottle. Darren looked over at me with a conflicted look. Well, at least he was worried too.

Realizing that he was waiting for some sort of response from me, a gave him a slow, hesitant smile.

"Just kiss already!" I agreed with Mark, trying to play it off lightheartedly. It was just a kiss, nothing was going to happen.

Darren smiled, nodding slightly as he moved to the center of the circle to meet Leah. Both of them cast one last wary look at me before they moved closer and pressed their lips together.

It was a very uncomfortable sight.

_Chalk that up as something that I never want to see again,_ I grumbled to myself.

Why was this three seconds not ending?

By the count of two, Darren suddenly reached his hand up and cupped Leah's cheek as he deepened the kiss.

This was not happening.

Leah let out a moan of pleasure that made my stomach churn uncomfortably.

What was going on? This wasn't right. This wasn't supposed to happen!

The count hit three, but they didn't break apart. Instead, Darren pushed Leah down so that her back was pressed against the floor, hungrily pressing his lips against hers as if she was a drug that he couldn't get enough of. Leah's hands snaked up and twined through his hair, pulling him down closer to her. Leah's mouth opened to release another moan and Darren took the opportunity to dip his tongue into her mouth.

I couldn't watch this anymore. I quickly buried my face in my hands, trying to block out the sight of them making out. This couldn't be happening. This _couldn't_ be happening!

"Kaley?" I heard Jenna's voice say, followed by a poke to my arm. I opened my eyes to look at her. "Are you okay? It's just a kiss, you know." I opened my mouth to argue that _that_ was _not _"_just a kiss_", when Leah caught my eye.

She was sitting _alone_ in the middle of the circle, looking at me with concern and worry. Darren was sitting in his spot on the outside of the circle, also looking at me with worry.

"Oh, just kiss already!" Mark exclaimed, taking a swig from his bottle.

Wait, what?

"They haven't kissed yet?" I whispered to Jenna, who gave me an odd look.

"No, they haven't yet," she shook her head. "They're both being reluctant because they don't want to upset you. But honestly? Don't worry. It's just a game. It won't mean anything."

_Really?!_ I internally smacked myself in the face. I had just _imagined _the _whole _thing?!

I looked back at Darren, who looked very uncomfortable and conflicted. Leah looked just as uncomfortable, waiting alone in the middle of the circle. I could tell that she felt very awkward, being put in this position.

_It's not her fault,_ I told myself. _It's just a game. Nothing will happen. You worry too much._ I turned back to Darren and gave him a small, hesitant smile, telling him to just do it. Darren nodded slightly before moving to the center of the circle. He gently leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

One.

Two.

Three.

And they broke apart.

"Screw the bottle," Darren said, suddenly turning and crawling over to me. He placed both of his hands on my cheeks and pulled my lips up to meet his. There was that hunger that I had imagined earlier. But instead of for Leah, that hunger was for me.

* * *

**Darren's POV**

I would be lying if I said that Leah wasn't a good kisser, because she was.

_For being someone who hasn't really kissed anyone before, she sure knows how to kiss!_ I thought as my lips pressed against hers. _She kind of tastes like... cherry._ Katie Perry's song, _I Kissed A Girl_, suddenly popped into my head. If I wasn't in the middle of kissing Leah, I would have chuckled.

_That's the second time that that song has popped up! _I realized suddenly. _First Chris won't stop singing it in the shower every morning, and now here I am, thinking about it while kissing my girlfriend's best friend! _

I really had strange thoughts sometimes.

"Three!" everyone shouted and I instantly pulled away from Leah. Like I said, she wasn't a bad kisser, she just wasn't Kaley.

_Screw it! _I decided firmly. _Why do I have to wait for a stupid bottle to tell me when I can kiss my girlfriend?_

"Screw the bottle!" I declared, quickly turning and crawling over towards Kaley. Once I reached her, I instantly pulled her towards me and pressed my lips firmly against hers.

This was so much better. Kissing Leah had felt _wrong_. Kissing Kaley though, felt _right_.

I let out a deep sigh of satisfaction as we broke apart.

"I'm sorry," I whispered softly. "I wish that I didn't have to do that."

"It's just a game," she replied. "And I trust you."

Those words hit me hard. _I trust you._ Trust is one of the most important things in a relationship. Without it, it's hard to make a relationship last. So to hear her say that, it meant that she believed that our relationship was going to last. We were strong. _Nothing_ could break us apart.

"Alright, break it up, you two!" Naya huffed unhappily. "Some of us still want to play. If you don't anymore, then please, and mean this in the nicest of ways, GET A ROOM!" I couldn't help the grin that spread across my lips.

"No need to get feisty, Nay-Nay," I smirked. "I'm sure your turn to spin will come soon enough and then you can make out with Kevin for as long as you want!" Naya's and Kevin's cheeks turned a deep shade of red as everyone else laughed. A lot of the fans were shipping _McVera _right now and we liked to tease them about it.

"Oh, just go away and make out with your girlfriend," Naya snapped sharply, though I knew that there was an undertone of playfulness to her comment. Sometimes Santana seemed to rub off on her, making her a little sharp tongued, but, in reality, Naya was one of the sweetest girls I knew.

"I intend to," I grinned in reply, quickly standing up and scooping Kaley up into my arms.

"_Darren_!" she squealed as I lifted her off the ground.

"What?" I chuckled. "I'm taking you away with me."

"I _can_ walk, you know," she retorted lightly.

"But where's the fun in that?" I pouted, giving her puppy dog eyes. She just rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Fine," she caved, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Take me away then."

"With pleasure," I grinned, stepping away from our friends and heading towards the stairs to go up where it was more quiet and private.

"There's condoms in the bathroom!" Naya called out after us.

"_Naya_!" Kaley exclaimed, her eyes widening as her face turned beet red.

"Just saying," she shrugged as she picked up the bottle. "Okay, so who's next?"

I quickly took Kaley away, up the stairs and into one of the bedrooms, gently setting her down on the bed.

"I'm not ready for that," Kaley said softly as I turned away to close the door. I paused for a second, noting the fear and worry in her voice, before shutting the door.

"I never said that we had to," I said, coming back to sit beside her on the bed. "You know that I would never pressure you into doing anything that you're not ready for, right?"

"I know," she nodded. "And thank you. For understanding."

She wasn't looking at me, but I could tell that her mind was whirling with thoughts.

"What's wrong?" I asked, gently brushing a piece of hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"Have you... Have you ever done _it_ before?" she asked hesitantly.

"Well-" I started to say.

"Actually, don't answer that," she cut me off before I could fully answer. She wrapped her arms around herself, looking very much uncomfortable.

"Kaley, what is it?" I asked softly.

"I've never... done _it_," she admitted. "I've never even been close to doing it before... well, except for, you know." I nodded as I rubbed her arm. What happened with James was going to be a very sensitive topic for a long time, which I completely understood.

"I had a boyfriend before," she said suddenly, finally turning to look at me. "We weren't together for very long, only a couple of months. But he kept pressuring me to do things that I didn't want to, that I wasn't ready to do. That was ultimately why we broke up. He wanted things that I wasn't ready to give him. It wasn't until weeks later that I realized what a complete fool I'd been to even date him in the first place. My parents had never approved of him, my friends weren't that fond of him, even my _dog_ didn't like him. But he liked me. And no one had ever liked me in that way before. He made me feel _special_. He gave me attention and affection and all of those things that I had yearned for in a relationship. But it wasn't a healthy relationship."

Tears started to well up in her eyes and I wanted nothing more than to take her into my arms and kiss those tears away. But as much as I wanted to do that, I knew that I had to let her finish.

"H-He was abusive," she said softly, her voice cracking slightly. "I didn't realize it at first because I was still caught up on the fact that somebody liked me as more than just a friend. But my friends saw it and they tried to warn me, but again, I didn't want to listen. I was too in love with the idea of love to realize that what I was in wasn't love at all. It wasn't until one day, when he came over, completely drunk out of his mind, that I realized that something was wrong. He was mad because I wouldn't give myself to him and while he was ranting, he let it slip that because I wasn't putting out, he'd had to find other ways to get what he wanted. Which basically meant that he was cheating on me, messing around with other girls. It was then that I decided that I was done with him and I told him to leave. But he didn't want to. He grabbed my arm and pushed me back against the wall, threatening me and telling me that I _couldn't_ break up with him. Luckily, my friends that I was living with at the time came home right at that moment and forced him to leave. A couple of weeks later, Leah brought up the idea of me moving to New York with her and, well, here I am."

"Kaley," I whispered her name softly, my voice conveying all of the sorrowed emotion I felt for her, that she had to go through that.

"I-I'm sorry," she gave a half-hearted smile. "I kind of killed the moment... but I wanted you to know. Relationships are about trust and understanding and acceptance of everything about a person and I felt that you needed to know the truth about my past so that you could understand why I'm not ready to move forward in some aspects."

"It's okay," I smiled, placing my hand over hers. "I understand. And I just want you to know that I will _never_ force you to do anything before you're ready. I want you to be comfortable, so that I can be comfortable."

"Really, Darren?" she gave me incredulous look.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"_I want you to be comfortable so that I can be comfortable_?" she laughed lightly. "Pulling out your _Glee_ lines much?"

"Opps," I blushed. "I swear, that was completely unintentional!"

"Completely?" she raised an eyebrow at me.

"Okay, maybe not _completely_," I admitted. "But you've got to admit, it's a really good line."

"You're such a dork!" she laughed, playfully shoving my shoulder.

"A dork that's crazy about you," I smiled. She froze suddenly, as if she had stopped breathing, and I was worried that I had said something wrong, but then she suddenly smiled and threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly.

"Imhffyew," she mumbled into my shirt.

"What?" I laughed, pulling away from her.

"Um, nothing!" she blushed, quickly looking away. She was just too cute.

"Hey, Kaley?" I said softly, brushing her hair out of her face so that I could see her eyes. "Is it okay if we still make out?"

"I thought you'd never ask," she grinned as she turned back to me. I smiled as well as I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers.

It was hours later before we rejoined the party downstairs.

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

"You two were gone for a long time," Lea commented slyly as I came to stand beside her. Darren had gone off to find us something to drink that wasn't alcoholic or fizzy.

"Nothing like _that_ happened," I laughed. "Our actions were completely innocent."

"Completely?" Lea persisted.

"I guess you'll never know," I winked playfully, making her laugh.

"You're good for him," Lea said suddenly, turning to look at where Darren was standing over by the bar. "In all the years that I've worked with him, I've never seen him as happy as he has been when he's with you."

"Thanks," I blushed, ducking my head slightly. "I like to think that he's good for me too. I've never felt so strongly for someone before and I can't help but wonder what I did to deserve a guy like him."

"I know what you mean," she sighed, looking over at Cory, who was laughing at one of Chord's many impressions. "Sometimes I wonder how I was lucky enough to get a guy like Cory."

"But you work with him," I argued. "And you're _Lea Michele_! You're gorgeous! How could you _not_ get a guy like Cory? But me? I'm just Kaley. Before meeting Darren, nobody even knew who I was. So how is it that Darren would choose to like somebody like me?"

"Because you don't treat him like he's _Darren Criss_," Lea explained. "Because you treat him like _Darren_, just another average guy."

"But he's not average," I argued.

"No, but we all like to feel like we are," Lea sighed. "It's not easy always being in the public's eye, but Darren said that he feel comfortable with you. You don't make him feel like he's some big celebrity. You just make him feel like a normal guy. Like come on, we've all heard about how you and Leah grilled him when you guys first met. He was so nervous to go apologize to you, but he kind of liked it, feeling nervous like that. He'd never been put in a position like that before and he liked how you didn't just stare at him with wide, starry eyes. You were actually _mad_ at him and gave him a piece of your mind. That made him feel _normal_. And then when he got to know you, you never really ever treated him like he was a celebrity. He was just your friend, and then later, your boyfriend."

"I'm not going to lie, I was a little starstruck by him when I first met him," I admitted. "Like, I'd had a crush on him for years, but after meeting him and becoming friends with him, I realized that I actually liked him more than just a silly little celebrity crush. And you're right, he wasn't _Darren Criss_ to me. He's just Darren."

"I hope I'm just Darren," Darren laughed from behind us. "Or else I'd be very confused right now." He handed me a cup of some sort of red juice. "It's punch, but it's not overly fizzy, so I hope that's okay."

"It's perfect," I smiled, taking a small sip.

"Like you," he grinned, making me blush.

"Oh shush, you!" I giggled, covering his mouth with my hand. He made me feel all giddy and blushy when he talked like that. He kissed my palm that was covering his lips, making me blush again.

"Do you two need to find a room again?" Leah suddenly asked, coming over to join us.

"No," I replied quickly, looking at her. "And where were you off hiding? I didn't see you when we came back."

"I was-" she blushed slightly, almost unnoticeably, as she glanced over at Chris. "Just off exploring the house. It's pretty big."

"Find any secret rooms?" I asked eagerly. I loved the idea of a house having secret rooms or passages. I had detective, mystery novels to thank for that.

"No," she shook her head. "I didn't find any, but maybe I wasn't looking hard enough."

"Too busy looking at something else?" I asked curiously.

"No!" Leah answered quickly, blushing again. "Oh look, my cup's empty. I'm going to go get a refill." She quickly turned and bolted away before I could question her further.

_What is she hiding?_ I wondered as I turned back to Lea and Darren.

"You know what I haven't gotten a chance to do yet?" Lea commented suddenly.

"What?" I asked, playing along.

"Sing with you," she smiled. "Will you sing with me, Kaley? You've sang with Darren and Chris, but you've never sang with me. Please?"

"Alright," I caved. "What song?"

"You'll see," she grinned, grabbing my hand and leading me over to the stage. She stopped and whispered something to Heather, who was standing by the karaoke machine, before taking me up on the stage. Lea nodded to Heather, who hit the play button and as the words floated onto the screen, I couldn't help but smile.

"Leah told me it was one of your favourite duets," Lea smiled.

"She was right," I smiled back, raising the mic to my lips to start the song.

_I wish I could tie you up in my shoes_

_Make you feel unpretty too_

_I was told I was beautiful_

_But what does that mean to you_

_Look into the mirror who's inside there_

_The one with the long hair_

_Same old me again today_

**My outsides are cool**

**My insides are blue**

**Every time I think I'm through**

**It's because of you**

**I've tried different ways**

**But it's all the same**

**At the end of the day**

**I have myself to blame**

**I'm just trippin'**

_**You can buy your hair if it won't grow**_

_You can fix your nose if he says so_

_**You can buy all the make up**_

_**That M.A.C. can make**_

_**But if you can't look inside you**_

_Find out who am I to_

_**Be in a position to make me feel so**_

**Damn unpretty**

_I feel pretty_

**Oh so pretty**

_**I feel pretty and witty and bright**_

**Never insecure until I met you**

**Now I'm bein' stupid**

**I used to be so cute to me**

_**Just a little bit skinny**_

_Why do I look to all these things_

_**To keep you happy**_

**Maybe get rid of you**

**And then I'll get back to me**

(**Hey!**)

_My outsides are cool_

_My insides are blue_

_Every time I think I'm through_

_It's because of you_

**I've tried different ways**

**But it's all the same**

**At the end of the day**

**I have myself to blame**

**Keep on trippin'**

_**You can buy your hair if it won't grow**_

_You can fix your nose if he says so_

_**You can buy all the make up**_

_**That M.A.C. can make**_

_**But if you can't look inside you**_

_Find out who am I to_

_**Be in a position to make me feel so**_

**Damn unpretty**

_I feel pretty_

**Oh so pretty**

_**I feel pretty and witty and bright**_

_And I pity_

**Any girl who isn't me **

**Tonight**

(_Oh oh oh oh_ _oh oh oh_)

**Tonight**

(_Oh oh oh oh_ _oh oh oh_)

**Tonight**

(_Oh oh oh oh_ _oh oh oh_)

**Tonight**

(_Oh oh oh oh_ _oh oh oh_)

**I feel pretty**

(_You can buy your hair if it won't grow_)

**Oh, so pretty**

(_You can fix your nose if he says so_)

**I feel pretty and witty and bright**

(_You can buy all the make up_

_That M.A.C. can make_)

_**But if you can't look inside you**_

_Find out who am I to_

_**Be in a position to make me feel so**_

**Damn unpretty**

_I feel pretty_

_**But unpretty **_

The room fell silent before erupting into applause.

"That was so much fun!" Lea exclaimed happily, suddenly giving me a tight hug. "I'm so glad that I got a chance to do that before I leave!"

"Me too," I smiled brightly, returning the embrace.

"Unfortunately, this is where I must say goodbye," Lea said sadly. "Cory and I are flying out early tomorrow, so we need to get back to the hotel and finish packing up."

"You're leaving tomorrow?" I frowned.

"Yes, some of us have earlier shoot times on Monday, so we have to head back earlier," Lea sighed. "But it was so nice getting to know you and I hope that you'll come visit us in L.A. sometime soon, okay?"

"I promise I will," I replied, giving her another tight hug. We then joined Darren, Cory, Chris, and Leah, each of us giving the two of them hugs goodbye.

"Make sure that you two come visit us soon, okay?" Cory smiled at Leah and I. "I loved getting to hang out with my Canadian girls."

"We will," we both laughed, giving him another hug. "Have a safe flight!"

Soon after Lea and Cory left, a few other people started to depart as well, each of them giving us hugs on their way out. And then suddenly, there were only five of us left: Me, Darren, Chris, Leah, and Mark, who was now passed out on the couch.

"I guess that we should probably get him back to the hotel," Chris sighed. "I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving him alone here." The rest of us agreed so, after calling for a limo, we were all on our way back to the hotel.

"Do you guys want to stay here tonight?" Darren asked once we reached their room. They were going to put Mark on a cot in their room instead of taking him to his own room (which he didn't have to share with anyone), because, again, Chris didn't want him to be left alone in the state he was in.

"That sounds like fun," Leah smiled, instantly bouncing onto Chris' bed. "Dibs!"

"Are you sure you're okay with sharing with Chris?" I asked, though I already knew what her answer was. The question probably would have been better suited directed at Chris.

"Of course," Leah smiled, looking at Chris. "It's not like we haven't slept in the same bed before." She suddenly blushed heavily. "I mean, cause, you know, what happened last Friday. And besides, Chris is my cuddle buddy, just like Darren's your cuddle monkey."

"Cuddle monkey?" Darren chuckled, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"It's what I call you," I blushed. "Because I love cuddling with my monkey plushies and you're like the biggest monkey of them all, so you're my cuddle monkey."

"I like that," he smiled, tapping my nose with his finger affectionately. "It's cute."

"What are we going to do for PJs?" Leah asked suddenly, looking down at her nice outfit. "I'd rather not sleep in this."

"I've got some spare pajama bottoms and t-shirts, if you don't mind wearing my clothes," Chris offered, moving over towards the dresser. "And I'm sure that Darren wouldn't mind sharing with Kaley."

"Of course not," Darren grinned, moving over to the dresser as well. "What's mine is yours."

"Does that mean that I can have your car?" I grinned, lying down on the bed in a way so that I was still facing him. Darren just rolled his eyes before tossing some clothes at me.

"Only if you move to L.A.," he laughed. Though it was said jokingly, his comment still made both me and Leah tense up. We still hadn't really talked about what was going to happen if things progressed further with our relationship. As much as I would love to go to L.A. with Darren, I couldn't just abandon Leah here.

"Come on, Kaley," Leah said suddenly, hopping off the bed. "Let's go change in the bathroom so that they can change out here."

"But-" I started to argue, thinking about Darren being shirtless, but she just grabbed my arm and pulled me off the bed, quickly taking me into the bathroom with her. After closing the door behind her, Leah turned to look at me.

"Are you going to do it?" she asked seriously.

"Move to L.A.?" I asked, to which she nodded. "No, Leah, I wouldn't leave you like that."

"But I don't want to be the one to keep you apart from Darren either," she sighed unhappily.

"Leah, you're not keeping us apart," I argued. "I'm still going to see him on the weekends and I can go visit him there in L.A. and there's _Skype_ and stuff. We're not going to break up just because we live in two different states!" I paused, suddenly realizing just how far apart we were going to be from each other. We were going to be in two separate _states_, on opposite sides of the country!

_That's a very long distance long distance relationship,_ I frowned to myself.

_But we will make it work,_ I fought against my doubts. _I know we will._

"We'll make it work," I said, starting to change into Darren's clothes. "And it's my choice to stay here, Leah. I'm staying here not only for you, but for me too. Darren and I have only been together for one week. I don't think that we've hit the "_move in with me_" stage yet. Besides, I think that my dad would kill me if he found out that I was living with a guy. You know how protective he is of me."

"Don't I ever!" Leah laughed, starting to change as well. She had had to fight hard with my parents to convince them to let me go live in New York with her. Although I was already living away from home at the time, they still weren't approving of me moving away to a different country. They liked having me close. Like I said, they were _very _protective of me.

We quickly finished up in the bathroom and rejoined the boys, each of us climbing into our own respective beds. It was mostly dark in the room now, one of the few sources of light coming from the glow of the television. I cuddled into Darren's side as he channel surfed with the remote, my hand brushing softly against his chest. I could feel his body thrum with pleasure as I trailed my hand up and down his chest.

As my eyes slowly started to drift shut, I felt Darren gently press his lips to the top of my head and my body swelled with warmth and comfort. As sleep started to consume me, I could have almost sworn that I heard a whispered voice say, "I love you."

* * *

_A/N: So what did you guys think? I know it got a little serious there for a while, but I feel that it's necessary to have those deep, personal moments. I hope that you guys liked it :) And I do want to note, before you guys completely freak out, this is not the official dropping of the L-bomb. Kaley isn't sure if she actually heard it, or if she imagined it, since she's being sucked into her dreamworld at the time. So no, he has not officially told her that he loved her, just to clarify. But it's getting close! Kaley almost told him! Did you catch it? :-p_

**_alicegursk: _**_Thank you :) I'm glad that you like my story! And you're right! It doesn't change a thing :)_

**_Charleygyrl:_**_Sorry, I thought it had been obvious that it landed on Leah, but I guess that just added more suspense for you then haha :)_

**_Penelope Elizabeth Anne Snape:_**_I honestly couldn't decide how to have her react, so I chose to do both ways haha :) And I know what you mean. I couldn't even begin to image how Kaley would feel in a position like that! ... oh wait... :-p_

**_nomorecandles:_**_I'm sorry! I have an unhealthy love for cliffhangers! I didn't get Twitter/Tumblr updates in this one, but maybe in the next one :)_

**_drobrien:_**_Haha I hope that you don't hate me! I honestly could not wipe the grin off my face while reading your comment. I love how much you love my story and how excited and enthusiastic you get over it :) I don't know if you got my PM, but yes, I do have Tumblr, though I barely use it. If you want to connect with me on there, I'll make an exception and try to use it more. My Tumblr name is 11cassaroo11 dot tumblr dot com (insert periods for dots). Or you can connect with me on Twitter, which I'm on multiple times throughout the day. My username on that is also 11Cassaroo11. And thank you :) I like to think that I'm pretty awesome :-p_

**_CyanMaterialGirl:_**_I'm sorry, I thought that I had made it obvious enough that the bottle had landed on Leah, but I guess that that just adds more suspense for you haha :-p And do you now? I'm curious to hear when you thought it happened ;) I'm glad that you love the Daley relationship so much :) I think they're pretty cute too :p_

**_Liveforblueandredties:_**_What ifs can kill you, can't they? They definitely took Kaley on a wild ride! :p_

**_jennanderton78:_**_ Sorry? It's my guilty pleasure :D_

_Thank you all for your continuous love and support, even when I take forever to update. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to reading your thoughts and talking to you guys in the next one! :)_


	46. Chapter 46: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

_A/N: A THOUSAND APOLOGIES! *hides behind couch and peeks over top* Please don't kill me? I'm so sorry guys! School has just been so hectic lately! I'm in my final three weeks for school so it's been crazy busy with final projects and stuff and I've been struggling to find time to write this chapter! But I hope its nice long length will make up for it :)  
_

_Thank you to all of my new followers! I'm so glad to welcome you to our family :) Shout outs to **Lady Luna Riddle**, **PrincessZelda98**, **fakeholl**, and **lisabert****les** for following. Shout outs to **Lady Luna Riddle**, **fakeholl**, **lisabertles**, and **oscurocaerangel** for favouriting. Thank you so much to everyone for your continual love and support :) You guys seriously make my day whenever you leave such positive and heartwarming comments. Sending love to all of you :)_

_And now, without further ado, the new chapter. Their last day in New York. Enjoy! :)_

* * *

Chapter 46 ~ Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go  


**Kaley's POV **

Waking up in the arms of someone that you love is one of the best feelings you can ever experience. As I slowly woke up, feeling Darren's arms wrapped snuggly around me, I couldn't help but feel happy.

_Today is going to be a good day,_ I smiled to myself as I opened my eyes. Since I was facing towards Chris' bed, I instantly noticed the fact that it was empty. I slowly sat up to look around the room, trying to see where Leah and Chris could be.

"Noooo," Darren moaned as I shifted, trying to tighten his grip on me so that I couldn't leave his embrace.

"Time to wake up, Dare," I giggled, trying to push his arms away.

"Five more minutes..." Darren mumbled, pulling me back down beside him and nuzzling his face into my neck.

"No, Darren," I replied lightly. "Chris and Leah are already up. We need to get up too."

"Don't wanna," he groaned. I lightly broke out of his embrace and sat up, ignoring his cries of displeasure as my body left his side.

"Time to get up, sleepy head!" I said as I stood up and stretched. As I did so, I noticed that the cot where Mark had been sleeping was also empty.

_Where is everyone?_ I wondered as I slowly bent down and picked up my clothes from where I had left them on the floor last night.

And then I heard it. The shower was running.

I slowly moved towards the bathroom, lightly knocking on the door. When I didn't get a response, I knocked again, but a little bit harder.

"Yeah?" I heard Leah's voice call out and I smiled. Turning the doorknob, I found it to be unlocked, so I opened the door and walked in.

"It's just me, Leah," I said as I moved towards the sink. Since our apartment only had one bathroom, we were used to sharing a bathroom and using it at the same time. I frowned as I looked in the mirror, seeing the horrible mess my hair was.

"Where's Chris and Mark?" I asked as I set down my clothes and picked up the hairbrush and started to comb my hair.

"Kevin came and got Mark a little while ago," Leah replied from behind the dark shower curtain. "They have to fly out at noon."

"And Chris?" I repeated when she didn't continue. There was a sudden thump from within the shower and Leah let out a small squeak. I quickly set down the brush as I turned towards the shower. "Leah? You okay?"

"Yep!" she replied instantly. "Just slipped on some soap! I'm okay!"

"Careful," I laughed, picking up my clothes again and starting to change into them. I paused again to wait for her to continue, but when she didn't, I asked again. "So where's Chris?"

"Oh, umm, I think he went down to the pool," Leah said. "He said something about going for a morning swim."

"Oh, okay," I nodded. "Well, I'm gonna get Darren up and we're gonna go downstairs and get some breakfast. Do you guys want to come down and join us once you're done and Chris gets back?"

"Sure!" Leah replied quickly. "Sounds good to me!"

"Alright," I smiled. "We'll see you down there then." I walked back over to the door and quickly slipped out of the room, leaving Leah to have her privacy.

_I'm surprised that she didn't go down to the pool with Chris,_ I grinned to myself. _I'd never imagine that she would have passed up the chance to see Chris __**shirtless**__!_

Wiping my teasing thoughts away, I returned to where I had left Darren to find him still snoozing. Grinning mischievously, I slowly crept forward and launched myself onto the bed, yelling "WAKE UP!" as I did so. Darren's eyes shot open and he let out a surprised little yelp. His wide eyes fell on me as I collapsed onto the bed in a fit of giggles.

"You should have seen your face!" I laughed, holding my sides. Darren suddenly launched forward and tackled me, pinning me to the bed. My breath caught in my throat for a second as this position reminded me of what had happened with James, but I forced myself to be calm. Darren wasn't James. He wasn't going to hurt me.

"Never start a battle that you can't win," he warned as straddled me. He suddenly let go of my arms and started tickling me viciously. I squealed with alarm. I was _very_ ticklish.

"Darren, stop!" I begged, trying to knock his hands away as I squirmed beneath him. "Don't! That _tickles_! Please, stop!" I could feel tears starting to roll down my cheeks. Darren noticed them and abruptly stopped tickling me.

"Kaley, I'm so sorry!" he said, alarmed. "I didn't mean to-"

"I'm _very_ sensitive and _very_ ticklish," I cut him off. "So ticklish that it will make me cry." He grinned suddenly and leaned down close to my face.

"Then let me help with that," he whispered, softly pressing his lips to the tear spots on my cheeks. I smiled as I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer, pressing my lips to his.

_I'm so in love with you,_ I thought as I looked up into his golden brown eyes. He slowly moved his hand to move a strand of hair behind my ear. I instantly leaned into his touch, sighing contently. I could easily picture spending every morning for the rest of my life like this.

"Darren, I-" I started to say, but was cut off as his stomach growled loudly.

"Way to kill the mood!" I laughed as I pushed him off of me and stood up. I walked over to his dresser and pulled out some clothes for him, which I quickly tossed at him. "Come on, let's go get some breakfast."

* * *

**Darren's POV**

We held hands as we walked down to the hotel restaurant, swinging them happily between us. Though Chris and I had been staying in this hotel for the past two weeks, we had never actually gotten a chance to check out the restaurant, so Kaley had suggested that we try it since it was our last day here.

"Party of four, please," I smiled at the young woman standing at the podium by the door.

"Right this way," she nodded, picking up four menus and gesturing for us to follow her. She led us over to a booth in the back, where it was secluded enough that we would not be disturbed by other guests.

"Thank you," Kaley smiled sweetly at her as we sat down on opposite sides of the booth. The woman, whose name tag read _Cathy_, just nodded, used to having to deal with celebrities.

"Your server will be with you in just a moment," she said before leaving us to return to her post by the door. Once she was gone, Kaley picked up one of the menus, licking her lips hungrily. I copied her actions, picking up my own menu.

"What are you going to have?" she asked after a couple of minutes of looking at the menu in her hands. "Everything just looks so _good_!"

"I'm thinking of doing the _Hungry Man's Breakfast_," I replied, showing her the menu item. It came with three eggs, however you wanted them, three pieces of bacon, three pieces of sausage, home fries, and two slices of toast.

"Ooo, that looks good!" she exclaimed, looking back at her own menu again. "I might have to get that too!"

"Are you going to be able to eat all of that?" I asked, chuckling lightly. She set down her menu and looked up at me with a serious expression.

"You do not understand my love for bacon, sausage, and home fries," she said. "I could devour a mountain made of them. The eggs, however, I could do without. I'm not a huge fan of eggs."

"I'll take your eggs if you don't want them," I offered.

"No!" she exclaimed quickly. "What would I dip my toast in then?"

"What?" I gaped. "You dip your toast in your eggs?"

"Yes," she replied defensively. "You get over easy eggs, break them open, and dip your toast in them. It's delicious!"

"That's weird," I laughed.

"You're weird," she retorted. I opened my mouth to make a witty remark back, but our server suddenly showed up, so I closed my mouth and smiled.

"Hello, my name is Teressa," the brunette said with a bright smile. "I'll be your server today. Can I start you off with some drinks?"

"Can I get a glass of orange juice?" Kaley asked sweetly. She was so polite.

_What a Canadian,_ I grinned to myself.

"I'll have orange juice as well," I said, flashing her a charming smile.

"Alright, two orange juices, coming right up!" Teressa nodded.

"Actually, you might as well add two more orange juices to that," Kaley told her. "We're expecting a couple more people."

"Alright, not a problem," she nodded again, jotting down the order on her notepad. "I'll be right back with your drinks."

Just after she left, I spotted Leah walking into the restaurant. I stood up slightly, as best as I could in a booth, and waved at her. She smiled as she spotted me and quickly came over and joined us.

"Where's Chris?" I asked her as she slid onto the bench beside Kaley.

"Oh, he's taking a quick shower," she explained. "You know, to wash off the chlorine smell. He should be done soon."

"Speak of the devil," Kaley laughed, spotting Chris walk into the room. Leah quickly waved him over.

"Morning," he smiled, sliding onto the bench beside me.

"Morning," we all chirped.

"So, what looks good?" he asked, picking up the menu in front of him.

"Everything," Kaley laughed lightly.

"I know what I'm getting," Leah smiled, setting her menu down.

"What?" Chris asked, raising an eyebrow at her. Leah and Kaley exchanged a glance and smiled.

"PANCAKES!" Leah exclaimed happily.

"With a side of bacon," Kaley added.

"With a side of bacon," Leah agreed, smiling widely.

"I take it you like pancakes," Chris laughed.

"Indeed," Leah nodded.

"Well, maybe I'll have to get pancakes too," Chris said, setting his menu down. "With a side of bacon."

"No!" Leah exclaimed. "You can't copy me!"

"Why not?" I laughed. "Kaley's copying me."

"Am not!" Kaley argued.

"Are too," I grinned.

"Just because I _happen _to be getting the same menu item as you doesn't mean that I'm copying you," she huffed.

"Alright, whatever you say," I shrugged. "_Copycat_." Kaley stuck out her tongue at me and I couldn't help but smile smugly.

"Here are your drinks," Teressa suddenly said, appearing at our booth and setting our drinks down in front of us. "Are you ready to order or did you need some more time?"

"I think we're ready," I said, looking around the table and seeing everyone else nodded. "I'll start. I'll have the _Hungry Man's Breakfast_ with _over easy_ eggs-" Kaley kicked me under the table at this point. "-and whole wheat toast."

"I'll also have the _Hungry Man's Breakfast_," Kaley started to say. I quietly mouthed, "Copycat," to her, earning another kick to my shins.

"But instead of whole wheat, I'll have white toast, please," she finished, shooting me a sharp, defiant smirk.

"Alright, over easy eggs as well?" Teressa asked, to which Kaley nodded. "Alright, and for you?" She turned to Leah.

"Can I get the _Pancake Special_ with a side of bacon?" Leah said.

"Me too," Chris grinned, suddenly wincing afterwards as Leah grinned smugly.

_Looks like we have both fallen victim to under-the-table kicks,_ I chuckled to myself.

"Alright, so we have two _Hungry Man's Breakfast_s, both with over easy eggs, one white, one whole wheat," Teressa started to list off our orders. "And two _Pancake Special_s with sides of bacon. And that's everything?"

"Yep," we all nodded.

"Alright, I'll be back with your food shortly then," she smiled, tucking her notepad away as she turned and headed towards the kitchen.

"I'm surprised that you didn't order any sausage," Chris commented to Leah. "Don't you like sausage?"

"I prefer bacon," Leah shrugged. "If you wanted sausage, then why didn't you get some?"

"Oh, I don't want any sausage," Chris shrugged. "I've found that it's not to my _liking_ anymore. But if you're ever in the mood for sausage, you'll have to try mine. It's to _die _for."

Leah had been in the middle of taking a sip from her orange juice and almost ended up coughing it back up.

"Went down the wrong pipe," she explained quickly, wiping away the juice dripping her chin. "So your _sausage _is the best, is it?"

"Yes," Chris grinned. "I'm quite the cook."

"He is," I nodded. "He made breakfast for the cast once and it was delicious."

"Well, you'll have to make us breakfast when we come visit you guys sometime," Kaley smiled. A sudden sadness fell across the table as we were reminded that our time here was almost over.

_But we'll be back to visit,_ I reminded myself._ And they'll come visit us. This isn't our last day together. It's just the beginning. _I looked over at Kaley, who was laughing at something that Leah had said, and smiled. There was no way that I'd let this end.

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

After receiving and eating our food, which Darren watched me eat with surprise and fascination as I finished my plate off, we paid for our food (or tried to pay for, but the manager insisted that it was on the house if Darren and Chris would sign an autograph for his daughter) and headed back to their room. I quickly jumped through the shower as Chris and Leah went back to our place to get the scooters since we decided that we were going to go site-seeing today. As soon as I was done, Darren hopped in the shower to freshen up as well. I quickly pulled on my jeans then looked at my shirt, which I realized had a huge ketchup stain on the front of it.

_Crap,_ I thought, frowning. _I don't want to wear this out now..._ An idea popped into my head and I walked over to Darren's dresser and opened one of the drawers. The instant I saw the shirt, I knew that I had to wear it, so I quickly pulled it on. And then I sat down on the bed and turned on the TV while I waited for Darren to finish.

"I like your shirt," he grinned as he walked back into the room. I looked up from the TV screen and my breath caught in my throat as I saw him. He was leaning against the wall, wearing nothing but a single white towel around his waist. Water droplets trickled down his chest, glinting magically as the light hit them. He was _gorgeous_!

"Oh, this old thing?" I grinned when I finally found my voice again, looking down at it. It was a deep navy blue t-shirt with the word MICHIGAN written across the front in yellow.

"It's kind of funny," I said softly as I traced the lettering. "I lived in a town that bordered Michigan growing up. We were only a state away from each other. How crazy is that?"

"It just shows that we were meant to be together," he smiled, coming over to me. My heart slipped a beat as he leaned down and kissed my forehead.

"Do you believe in fate?" I whispered, almost unable to breathe due to the closeness of his bare chest.

"I believe that things happen for a reason," he replied, smiling. "There was a reason that we both happened to be there that first night, that we had that... _unpleasant_ first impression. If that hadn't happened, would our bond be as strong as it is? No one's _ever_ made quite the impression on me as you have."

"Really?" I breathed.

"Really," he grinned, lightly tracing the outline of my cheek with his finger. "I've never met anyone like you, Kaley. You're amazing, incredible. You make my heart race and it's not hard to see why it was so easy for me to-"

"We're back!" Chris announced as the door burst open. He and Leah stopped short in the doorway as they noticed our intimately close position. "Did we... _interrupt_ something?"

"You have impeccably horrible timing, my friend," Darren laughed as he moved away from me and towards the dresser to grab some clothes. "I'll be ready in a minute." He quickly slid past them and went back into the bathroom to change. I couldn't help but feel a little bit sad that his beautiful bare chest was gone from my sight.

"Well, didn't you two look cozy!" Leah joked, jumping onto the bed beside me as she tossed me my scooter keys.

"We _were_ until _somebody_ interrupted us," I replied, nudging her hard in the side as I slid the keys into my pocket.

"Well, maybe it's a good thing that we showed up before things got too _carried away_..." she gave me a mischievous grin that I just rolled my eyes at.

"You know I'm not the kind of girl to do _that_," I scoffed. "_Especially _in a hotel room! I mean, how _tacky_ is that?" I glanced over at the bathroom door to check for Darren. I had told him that I wasn't ready for that kind of step in our relationship yet, but, truth be told, I'm not sure when I will be ready. The idea of being intimate with someone had always unsettled me. And I think that having parents who instilled the morals of saving yourself until marriage could have also played a role in my reluctance to take that next step.

_It's like choosing between following my head or following my heart,_ I sighed to myself. _Listen to reason or listen to love. _I was suddenly very thankful that Darren was understanding of my need to wait. It gave me more time to try to decide what path I should choose for when the time came.

"Alright, I'm ready to go!" Darren announced as he exited the bathroom. I smiled as I stood up from the bed and went over to the table to grab my camera.

"Took you long enough!" I joked as I slid it into my pocket. "We're losing daylight here, people!" I quickly headed towards the door, but Darren beat me there, opening it for me while giving me a low bow.

"After you," he smiled.

"Why thank you," I smiled back, mocking a curtsy to him.

"Come on, keep it moving, love birds!" Leah exclaimed, pushing me through the door.

"He was being a gentleman," I reprimanded.

"He was being slow," Leah remarked. "Didn't you just say we were losing daylight?"

I didn't respond to her. Instead, all I did was stick my tongue out at her as I gave her a light shove, then quickly booked it down the hallway to the elevator.

"I want to push the button!" Leah called out after me.

"Too bad!" I laughed as I reached the elevator and pushed the down button.

"Meanie," Leah pouted as she caught up, crossing her arms over her chest and sticking out her bottom lip.

"Maybe next time," I grinned, flicking her extended lip with my finger, which just annoyed her even more.

"_Kaley_!" she exclaimed as the elevator doors opened. I quickly dashed inside and hit the garage button before she could, making her glare at me even harder.

"Too slow," I laughed, grinning like a Chesire cat as I stuck out my tongue at her mockingly.

"Okay, break it up, ladies," Chris laughed as he moved into the elevator and stood between us. He put a supportive arm across Leah's shoulders, attempting to comfort her. "You can push the buttons when we come back."

"But then when do I get to push them?" Darren pouted as he came to stand beside me.

"You could push the close button," I suggested, which he instantly did with a proud smile on his face.

_You're such a five year old,_ I thought with a smile. The second we hit the bottom floor and the doors opened, Darren leapt out of the elevator and started running.

"Shot gun!" he exclaimed, racing over to the scooters and hopping onto my shiny black one.

"But it's my scooter," I argued.

"But you _always _drive!" he pouted, giving me adorable pleading puppy dog eyes. "Please, can I drive?"

"Don't do that!" I exclaimed, covering my eyes to block his pleading ones. "You know that I can't resist the puppy dog eyes!"

"I know," he grinned as I peeked through my fingers.

"Fine," I sighed, tossing him the keys. "You can drive."

"Yes!" he cheered, pumping his fist into the air triumphantly. I laughed as I slid onto the scooter behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"But this means that I get I choose where we go first," I told him, grinning widely.

"Deal," he grinned as well. "Where do you want to go?"

"I want to go to the Statue of Liberty!" I beamed.

"The pistachio of _what_?" Leah asked, looking very puzzled as she settled onto her scooter behind Chris, allowing him to be the driver as well.

"I said statue!" I laughed. "Not pistachio! And it's not just any statue! The Statue of Liberty!"

"Well, they're both green," Leah commented with a shrug. "Though pistachios taste better."

"Oh, you want taste, do you?" I laughed. "Well, how about you eat our _dust_! Go, Darren!" I tightened my grip around his waist as he twisted the gas handle and we zoomed out of the parking garage. I could hear Leah screaming after us, something along the lines of them beating us and her telling Chris to go faster. I threw my head back and laughed freely, partly in amusement at their beliefs that they could beat us and partly for the pure joy of it. I loved the feeling of the wind blowing through my hair.

_Crap!_ I realized suddenly._ I forgot to put my helmet on!_ I brought my head back up and leaned up closer to Darren, praying that he wouldn't crash as we whizzed in and out of traffic.

_Please don't die! Please don't die! Please don't die!_ I chanted in my head almost the entire drive to Battery Park, where we left the scooters and got on the ferry that would take us across to Liberty Island. I couldn't help but smile as I watched the statue grow closer. Leah and I had only come out here once since we moved here and I thought that this visit was well overdue.

As soon as we landed, I dragged Darren over to the base of the statue and handed Leah my camera.

"Take our picture! Take our picture!" I said excitedly, jumping up and down. I wanted to get as many pictures of us today as I could so that on days that I was missing Darren, I could look at them and remember all the fun times we've had and be reminded that there were only more good times to come.

"Smile!" Leah said as she took our picture. After we took a few more pictures and took some of Chris and Leah and then me and Leah, we finally headed towards the stairs.

"Last one up's a rotten egg!" I declared as I suddenly started to sprint up the stairs. I could hear my friends' footfalls on the steps behind me as we made our way up the tall statue, pushing me to go faster. I didn't even make it a quarter of the way up when my feet started to ache and my lungs started to burn. I started to slow down, allowing time for the others to pass me, though they were slowing down too.

"We should have taken the elevator," I gasped, wearing down. I'd never liked taking the stairs. To quote Po from _Kung Fu Panda_, "My old enemy: stairs!"

"Come on, Kaley," Darren laughed, coming back down a couple stairs to where I was. "We're almost there." He held out his hand, which I took, giving me a bit of renewed energy as we continued to climb. Way too many steps later (354), we reached the Crown. We had decided to bypass the normal Observatory platform and go straight up to the top.

"Wow," I exclaimed as we looked out through the glass windows. It was _beautiful_. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Me neither," Darren whispered, though I had a suspicious feeling that he wasn't talking about the view. I snuck a glance at him to prove that I was right. He was staring right at me.

"Oh, stop!" I laughed, shoving him lightly. "I'm not _that _great!"

"_You don't know, oh oh,_" he suddenly started to sing in my ear as he wrapped his arms around my waist. "_You don't know you're beautiful!_"

"Really?" I laughed. "_One Direction_? You're such a dork!"

"And your point is?" he replied, smiling. I would have given him a witty remark in return if a sudden scream hadn't filled our ears.

"_OHMYGOSH! IT'S DARREN CRISS!_"

We both looked up, startled. This was the first time today that Darren had been singled out.

_Did it have to happen now? _I sighed to myself as we turned towards the owner of the voice. She was an older teenager, perhaps a few years younger than me, with bright blonde hair and ocean blue eyes. She had _way_ too much make-up on, making her look less pretty than I'm sure that she was going for.

"Darren!" she squealed excitedly. "Can I get a picture?"

"Sure," Darren smiled, hesitantly removing his arms from my waist as the girl stepped closer and shoved her camera at me.

"Sure, I guess I'll take it for you," I remarked slightly sarcastic. In just five seconds of knowing her, I already hated her. She was one of those I-get-what-I-want type people, thinking that they're better than everyone else.

"Smile," I said through gritted teeth as the girl beamed like a wildcat as she stood next to my boyfriend with her arm latched tightly around his side. The camera could not go off fast enough.

"There you go," I said, handing her back the camera as she reluctantly stepped away from Darren. I instantly moved back to his side, his arm wrapping protectively around my waist. I didn't miss the annoyed glance I got from the girl but I didn't care. Darren was mine, not hers. This was one thing that she was _never _going to get.

"Can I get an autograph too?" she smiled sweetly at Darren, pulling a picture of him out of her purse.

Who does that? Carries around a picture of someone in chances that they might meet them?

"Who should I make it out to?" Darren asked as he took the picture and pen from her.

"Becky," the girl beamed. "And can you put 'To my number one fan' on it too?"

"Sorry, no can do," Darren shook his head as he signed the picture. "Cause my number one fan is right there." He pointed at me, making me blush. The girl, Becky, just glared daggers at me, but I didn't care. Darren was mine and I was his. No one could break that apart.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Becky," Darren said, giving her back her things. "But we've got to get going now. Have a great day!" He took my hand and led me away, leaving behind the sulking girl, hopefully for good.

"Where'd Chris and Leah go?" I asked, looking around the room and not seeing them.

"Maybe they went down to the gift shop," Darren suggested. So, we started our decent back down the stairs, which I found to be a lot easier than going up.

"Kaley, look what I got!" Leah exclaimed the second we walked into the store. She was wearing a green Liberty crown on her head. I couldn't help but giggle at her excitement.

"Don't you have one of those already?" I laughed.

"Yes, but this one's special," she grinned. "This one's signed by a famous person!" I blinked in surprise as I tried to figure out who she could have seen that she could have gotten a signature from.

"Who?" I asked, still puzzled.

"Me!" Chris laughed, joining us while wearing a crown of his own. "Some fans found us and wanted me to sign some of their things, so, for good fun, I sighed Leah's as well."

"And I'll treasure it forever," Leah sighed happily before breaking into a fit of giggles.

"Did you want a crown too?" Darren asked, holding up a couple of them.

"No," I shook my head. "I want something else." I moved over towards the checkout, as that's where they usually kept what I wanted. The second I spotted it, a smile lit across my face.

"A keychain?" Darren asked, following me over to the display case.

"It's a new thing I've been doing," I explained as I plucked one of Lady Liberty off the shelf. "I'm collecting keychains from the different places that I visit. Someday, I want to travel the world and I'll get one from each place that I go as a memento."

"That sounds really cool," Darren smiled, suddenly plucking the trinket from my hand. "Allow me to help in your endeavor." Before I could argue, he took it to the checkout and paid for it for me. When he came back, he had two of them.

"Now we both have a memento from today," he grinned as he handed mine back to me.

"You didn't have to do that," I frowned.

"I wanted to," he insisted. "Cause then when you look at that, you'll not only remember that you came here, but that you came here with me and that I bought it for you."

"Thank you," I smiled, lightly pecking his cheek. "I love it."

"Hey, guys! The elevator's leaving!" Chris called out to us from the open doorway of the elevator.

"My thanks to whoever installed this!" I whispered as we rushed over and got in the slightly crowded elevator. Thankfully, it didn't take us too long to get down so we weren't stuck in there for long.

We got down just in time to catch the ferry before it left, claiming a few open seats near the front to watch our return to the city. The ferry stopped at another island along the way back, but we opted out of going to it, deciding to just stay on the boat and get back to the city instead so that we could go out for supper, as it was nearing dinner time.

We decided to stay in Battery Park and go to a little Italian restaurant in the Financial District by the name of _Caracello_. Darren was the one who had pushed the idea of going there as he was, "craving good Italian pasta." We were seated almost immediately and given a round of waters. It only took me a second to find what I wanted from the menu.

"Buonasera, my name is Carlos," our waiter smiled at us. I couldn't help but notice the slight accent to his voice. "I will be your server this evening. Did you still need a minute or would you like to order some appetizers to start?"

"I think we're ready to order," Darren said, looking around the table at each of us to check and make sure that he was correct. We all nodded, so Darren smiled and looked back at Carlos. "I guess I'll start. I'll have the penne all'arrabbiata e bruschetta." I couldn't stop the giddy feeling I got hearing Darren's voice enunciate the Italian words.

"I'll have the cappelletti soup, please," Chris said, handing him his menu.

"I'll have cappelletti soup as well," Leah mumbled softly, shooting a glance at Chris, who just laughed and mouthed, "Copycat."

"It's my favourite!" Leah argued. "It's what I always have when I come to Italian restaurants! I am _not_ copying you!"

"Of _course_ not," Chris grinned. Leah just grumbled unhappily as she handed Carlos her menu.

And then it was my turn.

"Vorrei che la tortellini al formaggio," I told him, adding a slight accent to my voice. Darren looked at with me surprise as I smiled at Carlos and handed him my menu. "Grazie."

Carlos smiled as he finished taking our orders, giving me an extra pleased look, before leaving to put our orders in.

"You can speak Italian?" Darren exclaimed once he left. I smiled, knowing that he would react like this.

"I took a course in university," I shrugged. "It was one of my favourite classes. That's probably why I passed at the top of my class." I paused a second, debating whether or not to continue, but I decided to just go with it and said, "With a mark of ninety-six."

Darren's eyebrows shot up with surprise.

"_Ninety-six_?!" he exclaimed. "Holy cow!"

"What can I say?" I smiled. "I'm good at picking up languages."

"How many language classes have you taken?" Darren asked curiously.

"Four," I replied. "French in high school and Italian, Spanish, and Mandarin in university. I like learning new languages. It's fun."

"You're insane!" Darren laughed.

"And you're just catching on now?" Leah commented teasingly.

"Thanks," I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes at her. "At least I'm not alone in my asylum. I have an even _crazier_ roommate!"

"Who? Your monkeys?" Leah remarked with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah, you keep laughing," I said, picking up my butter knife and fiddling with it menacingly. "I know where you sleep at night."

"I would hope so!" Leah exclaimed. "You've only been living with me for the past year now! I'd think by then you'd know where my bed is!"

"You think you're _so_ funny, don't you," I replied dryly.

"It's a gift," Leah shrugged.

"Okay, children," Chris broke in. "No fighting at the dinner table!"

"Aww, but it was just getting good!" Darren whined, earning himself a sharp glare from Chris, which made him instantly shut his mouth.

"Party pooper," I heard him mumble under his breath, which made me want to laugh. It's ironic that Darren was the oldest one of the four of us, yet he acted like the youngest.

"Cheer up," I said, looking at the approaching waiter behind him. "It looks like our food is here." His eyes instantly lit up as he turned in his seat to watch Carlos walk over balancing multiple plates in his hands. A pleasant aroma filled the table as he set the plates down in front of us.

"Enjoy!" he said with a smile before leaving us to devour our meals. Which we did. I never used to be a huge pasta fan, but over the past couple of years I'd come to _love_ two specific kinds of pasta: lasagna and tortellini. Add lots of cheese to that tortellini and you have yourself a very happy Kaley.

I was one _very_ satisfied customer.

But that satisfaction did not last long as we realized how quickly our time together was slipping away. We did not have much time left until Chris and Darren had to leave.

One we were all finished and dinner was paid for (which Darren _refused_ to let me pay for half of), we reluctantly headed back to the hotel, and yes, Leah did get to push the button to go back up. Once we reached their room, Leah and I helped Chris and Darren pack their stuff back into their suitcases which had been hiding in the closet for the past two weeks. I think that we were all feeling reluctant to actually pack their suitcases because that just made the fact that they were leaving that much more real. But we had to because their flight was scheduled to leave at four am, meaning that we had to be at the airport at by midnight, since you had to be there four hours before your flight.

Which came way too fast.

By eleven, we were on our way downstairs to where Steven was waiting with the limo to drive us to the airport. It was a silent drive, no one really saying anything, rather just enjoying being in each other's company. I cuddled into Darren's side, trying to breathe in as much of his scent as I could. I didn't want to have to say goodbye to him.

_It's only temporary,_ I reminded myself._ You'll see him again next weekend._

The plan was that Darren would fly back here early Saturday morning. It was a six hour flight so he would be catching a midnight flight to be back here for about nine am (accounting for the three hour time difference), giving us the whole weekend to spend together.

But that was a whole week away.

"Here we are," Steven announced as we pulled up to the JFK airport. "It's been a pleasure driving you gentlemen. If you ever are in need of a ride when you are in town, please don't hesitate to call me." He passed each of them a business card.

"Thank you," Darren smiled. "We will be sure to take you up on your offer. You've been such a wonderful driver for us. I couldn't have asked for a better man for the job. It's been a pleasure having you drive us."

"We'll be back shortly, if you don't mind waiting for us," Leah told him as we all started to exit the limo.

"I don't mind at all," he smiled, settling back to wait.

As we slipped out of the vehicle, Darren took something out of his bag and placed it on one of the back seats before closing the door behind him.

"What was that?" I asked as we grabbed the suitcases out of the trunk and headed for the terminal.

"Just a little thank you gift for him," Darren smiled, draping his arm across my shoulders and pulling me closer to him. "Will you make sure that he gets it?"

"Of course," I nodded, snuggling into his side.

Because it was such an early flight, there weren't too many people wandering around in the terminal, which I was thankful for. Darren's fans could be a bit of a handful sometimes and I wasn't in the mood to deal with them, not at this hour.

Leah and I waited as Chris and Darren checked in their suitcases and then we all walked over to the gate where we would have to part ways.

* * *

**Darren's POV**

"Well, this is it," I sighed as we stopped in front of the gate. Kaley and Leah couldn't come with us past this point.

"I guess so..." Kaley sighed as well, looking very unhappy. The four of us stood in an awkward silence for a couple minutes before Chris finally spoke up.

"Hey, Leah, how about you help me pick out some snacks to take on the plane," he said, grabbing Leah's hand and pulling her away. I caught his eye before he turned away and he gave me a subtle wink. I smiled as I caught his meaning. He was giving me a moment alone with Kaley to say goodbye.

"I'm going to miss you." It was impossible to miss the sadness in her voice. I turned back to her and saw tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" I said softly, gently cupping her cheek as I wiped away a tear that had fallen. "Don't cry! I'm not leaving forever! I'll be back next weekend. And the weekend after that. This isn't goodbye."

"I know," Kaley sniffed. "It's just going to be so hard not having you here. I've gotten so used to seeing you every day. I don't know what I'm going to do without you here."

"You'll start working on your story," I replied encouragingly. "And you're not alone. You have Leah here too. And you can text me or call me whenever you miss me too much. We can _Skype _in the evenings when I'm off work. I'll be there whenever you need me, even if I can't _be there _with you."

"I hate being a woman sometimes," she laughed lightly, wiping at the tears in her eyes. "We get too emotional!"

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that," I smiled, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her close. "That just shows that you really care about me."

"I do," she said, wrapping her arms around me as well. "Care about you. A lot. I've never cared about someone this much in my entire life. You mean the world to me, Darren. I don't know what I would do without you in my life."

"I don't know what I'd do without you," I replied, softly stroking her hair. "You're just so amazing and beautiful and I am so happy to be able to call you my girlfriend. Kaley..."

I paused for a moment. Should I do it? Should I tell her how I feel? I mean, people always confess their feelings for each other in airports, right? ...well, at least they do in the movies... So it has to be somewhat romantic, right?

Taking a deep breath, I pulled back a bit from Kaley so that I could look her in the eyes.

"Kaley, I l-"

"Darren!" Chris' voice cut me off. With an annoyed huff, I turned towards his returning figure.

"What?" I demanded unhappily.

"Our plane just landed," Chris said. "It's in early and they want to start early boarding as soon as they can."

"Fine," I sighed, turning back to Kaley.

_It will have to wait,_ I decided, choosing to instead express my feelings through actions. I quickly leaned down and brought our lips together, kissing her with a hungry passion which she eagerly returned. There was such a desire and wanting behind our kiss, like as if neither one of us wanted it to end. I certainly didn't. I didn't want to leave. If I could have it my way, I'd either stay here in New York with Kaley or throw her over my shoulder and take her back to LA with me right now. But neither of those options were possible.

"This isn't goodbye," I whispered again as we broke apart, pressing my forehead to hers. "I'll be back before you know it."

"Promise?" she whispered back, clutching onto the front of shirt as if that would keep me from leaving.

"Cross my heart," I replied, which drew a smile from her.

She reluctantly eased out of my grasp and turned to Chris, giving him a tight hug goodbye as I gave one to Leah. I then gave her one last hug goodbye, making it extra tight like as if I didn't want to let go, which I didn't, and I gave her lips one last kiss before letting her go and stepping back.

"I'll see you soon," I promised before turning away and passing through the gate with Chris.

"Until then," Kaley called out after me, making me turn back briefly just in time to catch her blowing me a kiss goodbye. I 'caught' it and held it against my heart lovingly until Chris nudged me and made me continue walking, leaving behind the girl that I loved for a whole week.

A week that would become a torturous turning point in our relationship.

* * *

_A/N: Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuh! Should I hide again? :p Just so you know and don't kill me, some of the events in this story were preplanned and have been in my mind since I started writing this. So please don't get too mad at me. Everything happens for a reason._

_Now onto review responses!_

**_Liveforblueandredties:_**_ Hehe you fell perfectly into my trap! I wanted people to think that it was real :) Ya, I might have been being a bit mean there. LA events are to be seen and Leah and Chris? Hmmm I guess we'll have to wait and see :) __Oh trust me, it will be romantic :p All emotions will be spilled. And I guess we'll just have to wait and see what will happen next! :-p_

**_nomorecandles:_**_ I'm so mean. They get so close to telling each other but get cut off every time. Oh well, when the time is right, the L-bomb will be dropped :) _**_  
_**

**_harleyquinn2587:_**_Kaley's feelings about sleeping with Darren mirror my own. I've never done it, so neither has Kaley and she's not sure if she's ready to yet, which is ok. Not everyone is ready for that kind of step in a relationship. Don't forget about that boyfriend though. You might hear more about him in the future... :p_

**_AnSofiekeeeh: _**_Thank you so much! I am so thrilled to hear that you love it so much! And I am so flattered that you think that :) The main character seems so realistic because she's also based off of myself. A lot of her qualities and quirks come from my personal life, which makes it easier for people to connect with her. I'm glad that you're able to connect with her too :) And as much as I should tsk you for reading it in class, I can't help but smile to hear you about your freak outs over my work :) Thank you :)  
_

**_drobrien: _**_Hahaha it was a pretty good one, wasn't it :) Yeah, Leah and Chris are becoming a bit more obvious now, aren't they? :p To answer your questions: _

_Is Darren going to ask her to move in properly? Will be answered in a future chapter.  
When's Chris gonna admit his true feelings for Leah? It will happen in **If They Only Knew** (when I finally get a chance to update it). I think the better question is, when will they reveal their feelings to Kaley and Darren? :p  
When are Darren and Kaley gonna say I love you? When the time is right.  
Whose gonna say it first? I can't give that away :p  
_

_All very good questions, but I unfortunately can't give straight answers to them because that would give everything away! But thank you for them :) They were fun to "answer" :p _

**_CyanMaterialGirl: _**_Yeah, that was a fun bit to write :D And do you now? :p Thank you and hugs and love for everyone as well! :)_

**_Penelope Elizabeth Anne Snape:_**_ I had a guy in my life kind of like that too, but he wasn't as bad as Kaley's bf. I liked the attention, but it wasn't a healthy relationship. It only lasted two weeks, and though I somewhat regret it, I'm also thankful for that relationship because it reminds me not to drop my standards for anyone and that just because a guy shows me attention doesn't mean that he's a good guy to date. I'm glad that you were able to get out of your relationship too :) _

Pretty/Unpretty_ is one of my fav duets on the show so I had to get it in here at some point. I'd always sing Diana's part, so I thought that it would be the perfect one to sing with Lea :) What indeed is happening between them? They tend to sneak off together a lot.. I wonder what they've been up to... :p_

_They are coming! Good things come to those who wait! :) And as for LA, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what will happen :)_

_I am so sorry for the long wait on this update but I hope that you can forgive me :)_

**_jennanderton78: _**_But the question is, who really said I love you? Or was Kaley just hearing things? And indeed, what is the deal with them? :p (check out _**_If They Only Knew_**_)._

**_CWMFan: _**_Chapters of Leah and Chris' POVs for these scenes will be eventually released in **If They Only Knew**. _

_**Charleygyrl**: Who indeed said it? :p That's a very good question. It could have been Darren, but yet it could have been Chris :p And I will try to update it soon! Sorry for that wait on it! _

_**PrincessZelda98**: Thank you so much! I am so flattered that you like it so much! :) And the characters are kind of real because they have a lot of qualities from real people, like myself :)_

**_Allie Martin: _**_Thank you so much! I'm so honoured that you love it so much :) _

_Again, my humblest apologies for such a long delay. School is almost over, then I'll have more time to focus on my writing. Thank you for continuing to love and support me and my story even though I take forever to update. Love and hugs to all! :)_


	47. Chapter 47: Rumour Has It-Someone Like U

_A/N: I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH HOW SORRY I AM! I've made you wait a month for this! I am seriously incredibly sorry! But I am finally done school so I now have more time to focus on writing, so expect more to come soon :) I am hoping to keep up a weekly update schedule, most likely updating on Thursdays as those are epic Glee days and deserve some more epicness added to those days :)  
_

_So! To make up for the oober lateness of this update, this chapter is officially the longest chapter that this story has ever seen! And it passes over the most days than any other chapter has! I hope that you all enjoy it :)_

_Thank you to new followers **Georgiabaps24**, **Patty2675**, and **Tifarae** :) Welcome to the family! Thank you also to new favouriters **jennanderton78**, **Bowties and Glasses**, **NaeN****ea16**, and **the real chosen 1**. Thank you for honouring my story with your love and favour :) And again, thank you to everyone who has continued to love and support this story. Love and hugs to all of you :)_

_And, without further ado, please enjoy this new chapter :) I cannot wait to get your reviews on this one :D_

* * *

Chapter 47 ~ Rumour Has It/Someone Like You

**Kaley's POV**

Waking up Monday morning was one of the hardest things that I've ever done... Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it was still really rough. This was the first morning in the last two weeks that I would wake up and not see Darren. For the past two weeks, I had seen Darren every single day and now he was gone, back to LA. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours yet and I already missed him terribly.

After saying goodbye to him, Leah and I had returned to the limo, each of us lost in our own thoughts and sadness as our guys were taken away from us. We had all grown really close in the past two weeks and it had been hard to say goodbye, even if they were coming back to visit at the end of the week.

I didn't forget to give the package to Steven, which turned out to be a very generous tip in thanks for all that he'd done for us over the past two weeks. That gesture just made me love him even more, especially since I got to see how Darren's actions affected Steven. I think that that was the first time that I had ever seen him cry, but in the good way. He kept trying to thank Leah and I, telling us that we'd never know how much that meant to him. I had to remind him more than once that this was Darren's doing, but I would be sure to pass on the message for him.

After a teary eyed goodbye to Steven, Leah and I climbed the stairs up to our apartment, each of us bidding the other goodnight as we went to our own rooms. It took me a while to fall asleep, having become comfortable with having someone lying beside me at night. Now there was just a cold, empty spot on the bed beside me.

"Kaley, it's time to wake up!" Leah's voice suddenly called out. I rolled over and looked up to see her peeking in through my door. "Time to get up, sleepy head! It's time for a Leah/Kaley day! A Keah day! A Laley day! A Kaleahley day!"

"Kaleahley?" I chuckled, pulling back my covers and standing up.

"I don't know!" she huffed, crossing her arms. "It was the best I could come up with in five seconds!"

"Well, it's definitely something, that's for sure," I smiled, moving over to the dresser to throw on some clothes. I pulled on a pair of sweatpants, figuring that we probably weren't going out anywhere, and then looked for a shirt. One that was hanging over the back of my computer chair caught my eye. It was Darren's Michigan shirt. I smiled as I walked over and picked it up, quickly pulling it on.

It smelled like him.

"Ok, so what are we doing?"

We ended up spending the day watching movies and baking and eating a crap load of food. This was how we usually spent our "Kaleahley" days, just hanging out and spending time with each other. Since my attention had been on Darren the past two weeks, it was nice to finally just relax and have some girl time.

"So what exactly is going on between you and Chris?" I brought up near the end of the night as we were snuggled up in front of the TV watching _Something Borrowed_.

"What do you mean?" she asked, casting me a quick sideways glance before turning her gaze back on the TV. This was the scene were John Krasinski got hit in the face with the tennis racket by Ginnifer Goodwin.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "You two just seem awful close and you guys are always disappearing on us..."

"Chris is like my best friend," Leah stated. "And we just wanted to give you guys some privacy, that's all."

"Okay, if you're sure..." I let it go, though I still couldn't push away the nagging thought in the back of my head that Leah was hiding something from me.

Tuesday morning was just as sad, my bed still as empty as it was the morning before. I sighed as I reached out and brushed my hand against the pillow where Darren had lain. I missed him.

I rolled over and suddenly caught sight of my phone, multiple messages flashing across the screen. Leah hadn't let me have my phone yesterday, which was pure torture, as she claimed that it was _our_ day and we weren't allowed _any _distractions. She had only allowed me to text Darren to let him know what was going on before stealing my phone and locking it in her room.

Picking up my phone from where Leah must have put it, I found that almost all of the texts were from Darren.

Darren: _Haha alright, you girls have fun! I miss you :)_

Darren: _Rehearsal was brutal! How was your movie night?_

Darren: _... Still happening I guess? :-p_

Darren: _Well, I'm heading to bed. Early morning tomorrow. I'll try to text you when I get a chance! Miss you! Sweet dreams! :)_

Darren: _Hey, I know you prob won't be up yet, but I just wanted to be the first one to say good morning! Hope you have a great day! Maybe __**Skype **__tonight? Miss you :)_

And then there were a couple from other people.

Chris: _Darren wants to know if your movies are done because I stole his phone because he wouldn't stop texting you :p_

Chris: _Sweet dreams hun :) _

Leah: _Hey I figured to save paper I'd just text you. I've gone out for the morning to see if I can get a part time job for between shows. You should plunk your butt down in front of your computer and get some work done on that story of yours! _

Leah: _I'll be home later! Try not to have too much fun without me! :p_

I smiled as I quickly shot off replies to all of them, only getting one back from Leah, as the two guys were at work, telling me that it was about time that I got up.

I quickly checked the time to find that it was almost eleven.

_I probably slept so late because I didn't sleep well last night,_ I decided with a frown. My dreams had been racked with nightmares that had made me toss and turn all night.

With a groan, I finally pulled myself out of bed and walked over to sink down into my computer chair. I opened my laptop, which I basically always left on, and stared at the almost blank page on the screen.

_Why am I having such a hard time with this?_ I frowned, staring at my practically nonexistent story. Usually I would have a million ideas gushing through my head, but for the past couple of months, I had been suffering from a severe case of writer's block.

It was in that exact same spot that Leah found me when she got home around supper time.

"Hey," she called out, peeking into my room. "How goes the battle?"

"Not good," I frowned. "How about on your end?"

"Not much luck for me either," she shook her head sadly. "No one's looking to hire right now. I'm gonna try again tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have better luck then."

"Maybe you should try applying at places other than just music stores," I teased, noticing her music folder in her hand. I softened my voice slightly before continuing. "I know you miss playing the piano, but you don't know if a store would even let you play theirs."

Leah loved to play the piano. She'd been playing for years. But when we had moved to New York, our apartment was simply too small for a piano and she had broken her electric keyboard almost three months ago, not having enough money at the time to replace it. She also argued that a keyboard just wasn't the same as playing a real piano.

"Yeah, I know," she sighed, coming into my room and flopping herself down on my bed.

"Why don't you apply at a coffee shop or something?" I suggested, turning my chair around so that I faced her. "Don't they sometimes have music stages? They might have pianos that they'll let you play." Leah immediately perked up, a huge smile on her face.

"I'm going to go _Google _some places now!" she grinned, leaping up from the bed and dashing out of the room.

"You're welcome!" I called out after her with a light chuckle.

My stomach suddenly grumbled, reminding me of my lack of food intake that day. I slowly stood up and stretched before making my way out of my room and down the hall to the kitchen. Leah's bedroom door was closed but I could still hear her typing away on her keyboard. I couldn't help but smile as I continued to make my way to the kitchen, quickly pulling out the waffle maker and setting it on the counter.

"Hey, Leah?" I called out as I opened the fridge and pulled out a couple of cheese slices and the margarine container.

"Yeah?" I heard her call back.

"Do you want a grilled cheese waffle?" I asked, setting the items in my hand down on the counter beside the waffle maker.

"Sure!" she replied, almost absentmindedly, her full attention most likely on her computer screen. I just rolled my eyes as I got to work making the grilled cheese waffles. They were basically just grilled cheese sandwiches cooked in a waffle iron, giving them that fun waffle look.

Once they were finished, I placed one on a plate for Leah and the other on a plate for myself, squirting a decent sized amount of ketchup beside it before heading back down the hall to my room.

"Your food is on the counter!" I called out to Leah as I passed her door. The only response I got was what sounded like an "Okay!"

Back in my room, I quickly devoured my food before turning my attention back on my computer.

Still nothing.

With a sigh, I picked up my cell phone and texted Darren.

Me: _I'm having absolutely no luck with this story. How's rehearsal going?_

I waited a couple of minutes but got no response. I glanced over at the clock to see that it was seven thirty. That meant, due to the time zone difference, that it was only four thirty in LA. Darren probably wasn't out of rehearsal yet.

By eleven, I was feeling exhausted, even though I hadn't really done anything that day. I still hadn't gotten a text back from Darren, which worried me.

_They're probably just having a late rehearsal, that's all,_ I told myself as I set my phone on its charger and snuggled down under my blankets. _I'll just rest for a few minutes until he texts me..._

I ended up resting for more than a few minutes. When I woke up, I instantly knew that it was morning. I quickly grabbed my phone off its charger and found multiple texts from Darren.

Darren: _Hey, I'm so sorry about last night! Rehearsal ended up going till ten and I knew that it would be too late for me to text you. _

Darren: _But good news! They're gonna let us off at four today, which means that we can have a dinner __**Skype**__ date tonight :) _

Darren: _Hopefully that works for you? I'll keep my phone near me so I'll get your reply when you text me back :) _

Darren: _I miss you. I can't wait to see you tonight, even if it's only on a computer screen :)_

I smiled as I read through his texts.

_See, I knew that there was a reason why he didn't text me back last night!_ I smiled to myself as I got up and got myself cleaned up and ready for the day. I peeked in Leah's room as I walked past it, to find that she wasn't there.

_Probably off job hunting again,_ I decided to myself as I walked into the kitchen. The first thing that I noticed was the untouched grilled cheese waffle lying on the counter.

"_Leah_!" I huffed quietly, shaking my head. What a waste of food!

I quickly threw the day-old sandwich out before throwing together something to eat. I then plunked myself down on the couch in front of the TV and channel surfed for a little while.

About an hour later, the door to the apartment flew open, slamming hard against the wall.

"If Mrs. Porter comes because of that, you're answering the door this time!" I called out, not taking my eyes off the TV as I figured that it was just Leah. She didn't reply. Instead, Leah herself came tearing around the corner into the living room and jumped onto the couch beside me.

"Kaley, you'll never guess what just happened!" she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"You got a job?" I guessed. She frowned slightly, her brows crinkling together as she pouted, evidentially proving that my guess was correct.

"You took all of the fun out of it!" she whined, pouting her lip and crossing her arms.

"You told me to guess," I pointed out.

"No, I said that you'd never guess what happened," Leah argued.

"But I did," I smirked.

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes at me. "Anyways, so yes, I got a job! But that's not all! It's in a little coffee shop with a stage and," She paused for a moment for dramatic effect. "And they have a grand piano!" She literally squealed this last part.

"Oh my gosh, Leah, that's so awesome!" I exclaimed, truly happy for her. "Will they let you play it?"

"As long as the shop's not busy, they said that I could," she beamed happily. "And that's not all! They want to start training me tomorrow! Isn't that awesome?"

I smiled and nodded, though I was kind of sad on the inside. This new job meant that I'd have less time to spend with Leah. But I couldn't say anything about it because she was so happy and I didn't want to be the one to rain on her parade.

_Maybe I should look into getting a job too,_ I mused.

"I'm gonna go call Chris!" Leah said, getting up and skipping back to her room. "I can't wait to tell him the good news!"

"Oh my gosh!" I gasped, suddenly realizing that I hadn't texted Darren back yet. I quickly pulled out my phone and sent him a quick text.

Me: _Hey! Sorry I meant to text earlier! Dinner date sounds great :) Just text me when you're home. I'll be home all night so whenever is good for you, I'm ready :) miss you too_

I got an almost immediate response.

Darren: _Great! I'm looking forward to it! :) Gotta put phone away now. Ryan's giving me that look... :-p_

I smiled as I pictured Darren trying to act all innocent in front of Ryan. He was too adorable.

"Hey, Leah," I called out, turning off the TV before walking over to the kitchen. "Do you want to get Chinese tonight?"

"Sure, that's fine!" she called back from her room.

"Are you actually going to eat it this time?" I teased, opening the phonebook on the counter to look for the number for the takeout Chinese restaurant. Chinese would be fun for mine and Darren's dinner date tonight.

"I'm sorry!" Leah exclaimed, walking into the kitchen. "I got so caught up in my job searching that I forgot about it!"

"I slaved hard over the iron to make that for you!" I pouted. Leah just raised an eyebrow at me and smirked.

"Sure you did," she remarked sarcastically.

"Well then, see if I make you any more grilled cheese waffles then," I huffed, grabbing the phone book and turning to leave the kitchen.

"Oh, stop that!" Leah laughed, grabbing my arm and pulling me back. "Come on, let's pick out some Chinese!"

She took the phone book from my hands and opened it to the back to pull out a piece of paper that had been tucked in between the pages. It was a menu for a Chinese takeout place.

We went over and sat down at the table and went over our order. We decided to wait until closer to supper time to actually make the call, but it was nice to have our order all prepared.

And then all I had to do was wait.

As it got closer to seven, I started getting more and more excited. After three days of separation, I was going to see my boyfriend again. I couldn't wait.

Seven came and went, but I didn't hear from Darren.

_Rehearsal's probably just running a little bit long,_ I told myself. _Or he's going to wait to call me until he gets home. _

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

_He wouldn't be... _I thought, jumping up from where I had been sitting on my bed and racing to the door. I threw it wide open without checking through the peephole.

It wasn't Darren.

It was the Chinese delivery guy. I frowned slightly, having secretly hoped that Darren had somehow come to see me, but quickly pulled on a smile and paid for our food.

"Food's here!" I called to Leah as I carried the bags over to the table. We had boughten quite a bit. We had chow mien, chicken fried rice, chicken balls, sesame chicken, and egg rolls.

We each took some food and then retired to our own rooms. As soon as I got back to mine, I noticed that my phone was lit up with a new text.

Darren: _Hey, I am so sorry! Something's come up and I don't think I'm going to be able to do our __**Skype**__ date tonight :(_

Darren: _I will make this up to you, I promise._

I couldn't help but frown as I read his text. This was twice now that our _Skype _dates had been canceled. This long distance thing was hard!

Me: _It's okay :( I understand. I just miss you so much..._

Darren: _I know :( I'm sorry. I miss you too. I've gotta go, but I'll talk to you later, okay? _

Me: _Okay :(_

I closed my phone and tossed it into my pillows.

"At least I still have my food," I sighed, digging into my quickly-getting-cold food.

Once I was done, I took my plate back to the kitchen then peeked in Leah's room on my way back to mine. She was on her laptop, talking to someone. She glanced up as I peeked in.

"Oh, hey!" she smiled. "I thought that you were Skyping with Darren?"

"He canceled on me," I frowned.

"Oh, that's weird," she frowned as well, turning back to the screen in front of her. "Did Darren say anything to you about this?"

I didn't hear any response, but then I noticed that Leah had her headphones plugged in. Curious, I opened the door a little further and walked over to where she was sitting on her bed to see who she was talking to.

It was Chris.

"Oh, hi Chris," I smiled at him. Leah quickly unplugged her headphones so that I could hear him too.

"Hey, Kaley," he gave me a small wave and a warm smile. "I was just telling Leah that Darren didn't say anything to me about missing your _Skype _date. All I remember was him mumbling something about dinner when he left the studio today and I figured that he was talking about your date."

"Yeah, I don't know," I sighed. "But things happen sometimes and plans have to be rescheduled. Not much I can do about it. At least I'll get to see him this weekend. You too, right?"

"Yep, but I won't be there till Saturday because I'm going to Clovis on Thursday to pick up Brian from my parents' place and I'm going to stay for a little visit," Chris explained. "I haven't seen them in a while and I'm sure Hannah misses me... or at least my gossip about Mark." We all laughed slightly at his sister's obsession with Mark Salling.

"Okay, well, I guess I'll see you on Saturday then," I grinned. "I'll let you two get back to your conversation now. If you need me, I'll be in my room, catching up on _How I Met Your Mother_ episodes."

"Okay, have fun!" Leah chuckled, plugging her headphones back in as I left her room. I quickly returned to my own room and crawled into my bed and pulled my laptop onto my lap.

I fell asleep to the sound of _Neil Patrick Harris_' voice flowing through my ears.

* * *

The second that I woke up, I knew that something was wrong. I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and a feeling of unease that I couldn't shake off.

_I hope that I'm not coming down with something,_ I frowned as I rolled out of bed and made my way down the hall to the kitchen. There was a note sticking to the fridge that read:

_Gone to work! Won't be home till late. Can you go grocery shopping? We're out of milk! See you later! _

_~ Leah_

I shook my head as I opened the door to our surprisingly bare fridge.

"I guess I do need to go shopping," I laughed to myself. I quickly made a small grocery list, then went to shower and change before grabbing my keys and heading out. Because it was so nice out, I decided to take the scooter. I figured that there would be enough room in the storage space under the seat to fit in the few items that I was going to pick up. I'd do a larger shopping trip when Leah was free to go with me.

The trip to the grocery store was relatively uneventful, until I got to the check out. The cashier was a young girl, probably in high school, and when she looked up to greet me, her jaw dropped in surprise as she recognized me.

"Y-You're Kaley Grant!" she exclaimed.

"I am," I chuckled lightly, giving her a polite smile. The girl, whose name tag read Jessica, looked past me, her eyes darting around as if she were looking for someone.

_Probably Darren,_ I sighed to myself.

"I don't mean to be rude, but could you check me out?" I asked lightly, catching her attention again. "I'm kind of in a hurry to get home." I had forgotten to grab my phone off its charger before leaving and I was hoping that Darren had maybe texted me.

"Oh! Of course! Sorry!" she apologized, quickly ringing me through the till.

"Thanks," I smiled, accepting the change back from her after paying. As I moved to pick up my bags, she said something that confused me.

"I'm sorry to hear about what happened with you and Darren," she said softly.

I blinked in surprise, not sure what she was referring to.

_Oh no, _I panicked suddenly. _Did something get leaked about the James incident? _Darren had gone to great lengths to make sure that that story had never gotten out, claiming that my trip to the hospital had been because of an accident that had happened backstage. Maybe the truth had somehow gotten out.

_I bet it was Jordan,_ I thought bitterly, remembering James' creepy younger brother.

Realizing that the girl was still staring at me, I just gave her a small shrug and said, "Sometimes things happen that you have no control over."

She seemed surprised and perhaps a little impressed by my response. But, not wanting to go back down that particular memory lane again, I bid her a polite goodbye before leaving the store, trying hard to ignore the feeling of her stare following me out.

_Well, that was weird,_ I thought to myself, quickly storing the groceries away in the scooter before making my way back to the apartment.

It was just as empty as how I left it.

_I should really use this time alone as an opportunity to get some of my writing done, _I told myself as I started to put the groceries away. _I really need to start doing something productive with my days. I can't just sit around here waiting for Darren to come back to visit... Oh right! Darren!_

I suddenly remembered about my phone and went down the hall to my room to get it. Pulling it off its charger, I was disappointed to find that I had no new texts.

_That's weird,_ I frowned to myself. _Usually he texts by now..._

There it was again. That horrible sinking feeling in my chest.

"Nothing is wrong!" I scolded myself. "You're getting paranoid! Darren cares a lot about you! Just think of all those times he's held you, kissed you... Oh!" I grabbed my laptop and pulled up _Tumblr_, suddenly remembering something that I had wanted to look for.

_Darren Criss kisses Kaley Grant_, I typed into the search bar. I wanted to see the pictures from our onstage kiss.

But that was not what I found.

Instead, my screen was filled with images of Darren's lips pressed against lips that weren't mine.

_No, they broke up,_ I frowned, opening a new tab to bring up _Google_. _Those must be from before they broke up. _I typed my search into the bar again and hit enter. The page quickly filled with articles that made me feel sick. I really shouldn't have, but I clicked on one of them.

_**Together Again? **_

_Last night, on Wednesday, August 8th, __**Glee**__ star, Darren Criss, was spotted sharing a romantic dinner with ex-girlfriend, Vanessa Peterson at Michael's on Naples Ristorante. The two met in secret, requesting a booth in the back, away from the windows. After leaving the restaurant, in which the meal was so chivalrously paid for by Criss, the ex-couple shared a passionate kiss in the dark of the parking lot [see photo below]. A witness says that, "it was pretty spontaneous and passionate." So now the question that is heavy on all of our minds is are these two secretly back together? _

_"They've been sending each other flirty texts the past couple of days," an inside source reveals. "V just can't stop blushing every time she gets a text from him." After learning this juicy tidbit, we decided to go to the main source herself and ask her to give us the scoop. _

_"Yes, we're definitely back together," Peterson gushed. "We've been together every day since he got back into town. We're taking things slower this time to try to make our relationship stronger so that it'll last. No more mistakes or distractions. We wanted to keep it quiet until we were ready to go public, but I guess that you guys beat us to it! But on behalf of me and Darren, I can say that we couldn't be happier to be able to share the truth with everyone. I just hope that everyone will be as happy for us as we are." _

_Well, we certainly are happy for you two! Peterson put all further questions about other relationships to rest stating that, "Darren only has eyes for me, as do I for him. There is no one else." _

_Well then, let us at __**CelebScoop**__ be the first to say congratulations to the happy couple! We wish only the best for you and the future of your relationship together. _

_No comments have been made from Criss._

I stared blankly at the screen in front of me, not even caring as it started to blur as tears overflowed my eyes. Two of those sentences had stung the most:

"_No more mistakes or distractions._"

"_There is no one else._"

Everything that I had ever feared about mine and Darren's relationship was suddenly coming to light. He never really cared about me. I was just a _distraction_, someone to keep him company until he could return to Vanessa. I was _no one_ to him.

I was nothing.

* * *

**Leah's POV**

Work had been long, hard, and stressful, but I think that I was finally starting to get the hang of making the cool designs on the top of the coffees. To say that I was glad to be home was an understatement.

"Kaley, I'm home!" I called out as I took off my shoes and dropped my keys onto the table by the door.

There was no answer.

I quickly glanced at the time. It was just a little after nine. She wouldn't be asleep yet.

I quickly walked over to her room and peeked in.

She wasn't there.

"Kaley?" I called out again, checking each room as I walked down the hall. Still no answer.

I checked the whole apartment to find that she was no where to be found.

I quickly pulled out my phone and sent her a text asking where she was. After five minutes of not getting any reply, I started to get worried. I tried calling her, but it just went to her voicemail.

_Where is she?_ I frowned. There was no note or anything left for me, which was very unlike her. _Maybe there's something in her room that can give me a clue as to where she is. _

I quickly made my way back to her room and slipped inside. Everything appeared to be where it should be, except for her laptop. Unless she was using it, it was usually sitting on her desk, not on her bed.

I quickly went over and picked it up, surprised to see what she had been searching for. Then I noticed that she had a second tab open. I clicked on it and read the article on the screen.

Then I put two and two together.

"_Oh my gosh_!" I exclaimed, quickly dashing for the door, throwing on my shoes and grabbing my keys before leaving the apartment. I only hoped that I wasn't too late to stop Kaley from doing something that she'd regret.

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

"Can I buy you another?" the voice was so sickly sweet that it was almost dripping with honey.

"Sure," I smiled at the man who the voice belonged to. He looked older than me, probably in his late twenties/early thirties, with a slightly fading, dark hairline. His eyes were a milky blue colour that matched the pale colour of his shirt. He wasn't too bad on the eyes.

"Another beer for my friend here," the man smiled at the bartender behind the bar in front of me. He cast us both a wary glance before moving to carry out the man's request.

"Actually, I have a better idea," I grinned. "Let's do shots of tequila. I've always seen people do those things with the salt and limes but I've never done it before."

"Whatever you want, sweetheart," the man grinned as well. "Actually, I've got some tequila and limes at my place. We could go there and try some _fun experiments_..." His eyes practically lit up with excitement at the thought of this.

"Sorry, _Mister_, but the only experiment you'll be trying tonight is to see how fast you can get through that door before my foot starts kicking," a familiar voice snapped. "And trust me when I say that I have exceptional aim and power to my kick. So unless you'd like to not be able to have children, I suggest that you get moving."

The man's eyes almost burst from his head at the threat and he quickly took off.

"Why do you have to be such a buzz kill, Leah?" I sighed as I took a large sip from the beer that the bartender had finally given me.

"Because," she exclaimed, sliding onto the bar stool beside me. "You were just about to accept that man's invitation to go home with him. And everyone knows what happens when you leave with a guy from a place like this."

"Relax!" I snapped. "I wasn't going to do it! I'm not _that _drunk that I would be stupid enough to say yes."

"But yet you'll accept drinks from strangers?" she scoffed.

"It's a cheaper way to escape everything around me," I shrugged, taking another sip of my drink. "The less I feel, the less it hurts." I turned my head slightly towards her. "You found me, so I'm guessing you saw?"

"Yes," she frowned. "But that doesn't give you an excuse to go out and get wasted! Especially by yourself! What would you have done if I hadn't found you?"

"I have my cell phone," I said, pointing at the thing that was sitting on the counter in front of me. "I could have called you."

"But I'd have no idea where you were!" she exclaimed, noticeably upset. "I wouldn't know if you were alive or dead! You wouldn't answer your phone-"

"That's because _he_ won't stop calling me!" I cut her off sharply. As if on cue, my phone suddenly started to ring.

"_Stop calling me_!" I shouted at the phone, ignoring the looks that I got from the people around me.

"Kaley, I think it's time that we got you home," Leah said softly. "Somewhere more private where we can talk about this."

"I don't want to talk about it," I snapped. "I just want to forget all about him! I want to forget him and his promises and lies! I want-" The phone rang again.

"I want to sing," I said very quietly, suddenly standing up and very wobbly making my way over to where a karaoke machine was sitting. I found the perfect song within seconds.

"This song goes out to a certain _somebody_ who just can't take a hint to stop calling me," I announced into the microphone as I climbed up onto the small stage. And then I started to sing.

_Hello, hello, baby_

_You called, I can't hear a thing_

_I have got no service_

_In the club, you see, see_

_Wha-Wha-What did you say?_

_Oh, you're breaking up on me_

_Sorry, I cannot hear you_

_I'm kinda busy_

_K-kinda busy_

_K-kinda busy_

_Sorry, I cannot hear you, _

_I'm kinda busy_

_Just a second_

_It's my favorite song they're gonna play_

_And I cannot text you with a drink in my hand, eh_

_You should've made some plans with me_

_You knew that I was free_

_And now you won't stop calling me_

_I'm kinda busy_

_Stop callin', stop callin'_

_I don't wanna think anymore_

_I left my head and my heart on the dance floor_

_Stop callin', stop callin'_

_I don't wanna talk anymore_

_I left my head and my heart on the dance floor_

_Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh_

_Stop telephonin' me!_

_Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh _(_Stop telephonin' me_)

_I'm busy!_

_Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh _(_I'm busy_)

_Stop telephonin' me!_

_Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh _(_Stop telephonin' me_)

_Oh!_

_Can call all you want but there's no one home_

_And you're not gonna reach my telephone_

_Out in the club and I'm sippin' that bubb_

_And you're not gonna reach my telephone_

_Call all you want but there's no one home_

_And you're not gonna reach my telephone!_

_Out in the club and I'm sippin' that bubb_

_And you're not gonna reach my telephone!_

_The way you blowin' up my phone_

_Won't make me leave no faster_

_Put my coat on faster_

_Leave my girls no faster_

_I should've left my phone at home_

'_Cuz this is a disaster_

_Callin' like a collector_

_Sorry, I cannot answer_

_Not that I don't like you_

_I'm just at a party_

_And I am sick and tired of my phone r-ringing_

_Sometimes I feel like_

_I live in Grand Central Station_

_Tonight I'm not takin' no calls,_

'_Cuz Ill be dancin' _

_I'll be dancin' _

_I'll be dancin' _

_Tonight I'm not takin' no calls, 'cuz I'll be dancin'_

_Stop callin', stop callin'_

_I don't wanna think anymore_

_I left my head and my heart on the dance floor_

_Stop callin', stop callin'_

_I don't wanna talk anymore_

_I left my head and my heart on the dance floor_

_Stop callin', stop callin'_

_I don't wanna think anymore_

_I left my head and my heart on the dance floor_

_Stop callin', stop callin'_

_I don't wanna talk anymore_

_I left my head and my heart on the dance floor_

_Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh_

_Stop telephonin' me!_

_Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh _(_Stop telephonin me_)

_I'm busy!_

_Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh _(_I'm busy_)

_Stop telephonin' me!_

_Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh _(_Stop telephonin me_)

_Can call all you want but there's no one home_

_And you're not gonna reach my telephone_

'_Cuz I'm out in the club and I'm sippin' that bubb_

_And you're not gonna reach my telephone_

_Can call all you want but there's no one home_

_And you're not gonna reach my telephone_

_'Cuz I'm out in the club and I'm sippin' that bubb_

_And you're not gonna reach my telephone!_

_My telephone_

_M-m-my telephone_

'_Cuz I'm out in the club and I'm sippin' that bubb_

_And you're not gonna reach my telephone_

_My telephone_

_M-m-my telephone_

'_Cuz I'm out in the club and I'm sippin' that bubb_

_And you're not gonna reach my telephone_

_We're sorry, We're sorry,_

_The number you have reached is not in service at this time_

_Please check the number, or try your call again_

I couldn't help but smile at the applause that I got. Screw Darren! I didn't need him!

"Come on, Kaley," Leah was beside me now, tugging on my arm to pull me away from my adoring fans. "We should go home."

"Then go home," I shrugged her off. "I want to stay here with my fans! Do you guys want another song?" I took their applause as a yes. Sure, half of them were just old guys who were ogling me, but it felt nice to be wanted.

With a smile, I went back to the karaoke machine and flicked through the list, looking for something that jumped out at me. The second I saw the song, I had conflicting feelings about doing it. A part of me wanted to, but another part was afraid to.

_We should do this,_ I told myself, selecting the song. _We need to get it all out there._

Once again, I climbed up onto the stage and spoke into the microphone.

"Sometimes in life, you say yes," I said, looking around the room. "Sometimes in life, you say no. And sometimes, there are times when you should have said no. Because those are the times that you can never take back."

And then the music began.

_It's strange to think the songs we used to sing_

_The smiles, the flowers, everything_

_Is gone_

_Yesterday I found out about you_

_Even now just looking at you_

_Feels wrong_

_You say_

_That you'd take it all back,_

_Given one chance_

_It was a moment of weakness_

_And you said yes_

_You should've said no,_

_You should've gone home_

_You should've thought twice 'fore you let it all go_

_You should've known the word of what you did with her'd_

_Get back to me _(_get back to me_)

_And I should've been there,_

_In the back of your mind_

_I shouldn't be asking myself why_

_You shouldn't be begging for forgiveness at my feet_

_You should've said no,_

_Baby and you might still have me_

_You can see that I've been crying_

_Baby you know all the right things_

_To say_

_But do you honestly expect me to believe_

_We could ever be the same_

_You say that the past is the past,_

_You need one chance_

_It was a moment of weakness_

_And you said yes_

_You should've said no,_

_You should've gone home_

_You should've thought twice 'fore you let it all go_

_You should've known the word of what you did with her'd_

_Get back to me _(_get back to me_)

_And I should've been there,_

_In the back of your mind_

_I shouldn't be asking myself why_

_You shouldn't be begging for forgiveness at my feet_

_You should've said no,_

_Baby and you might still have me_

_Oh, oh, oh_

_I can't resist_

_Before you go, tell me this_

_Was it worth it?_

_Was she worth this?_

_No, no, no_

_No, no, no, no, no_

_You should've said no,_

_You should've gone home_

_You should've thought twice 'fore you let it all go_

_You should've known the word of what you did with her'd_

_Get back to me (get back to me)_

_And I should've been there,_

_In the back of your mind_

_I shouldn't be asking myself why_

_You shouldn't be begging for forgiveness at my feet_

_You should've said no,_

_Baby and you might still have me_

By the end of the song, my cheeks were drenched with tears. I felt cold and distant to the world. None of it mattered any more. Despite what Vanessa or Darren thought, we _had _dated and therefore Darren _had _cheated on me. And even if things went sour between him and Vanessa again, I would never, no, _could _never take him back again. It would hurt too much. _Everything _hurt too much.

I could barely acknowledge the fact that Leah was pulling the microphone out of my hand and leading me away from the men watching me.

Men. Stupid men. Foolish men who are probably here cheating on women that they are supposed to love.

But Darren never said that he loved me. Was this why? Because he had never actually loved me? Because I was just a distraction? Because I was no one? Because I was nothing?

"Shh, Kaley, it's okay," Leah's voice slipped in through my thoughts. "It's gonna be alright. I'm here. Go to sleep."

_Sleep?_ I blinked a couple of times, clearing the tears from my eyes to find that I was in my own bed. How did I get here? Honestly, I didn't even care anymore.

"L-Leah?" I hiccuped, reaching out for her. She took my hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"I'm right here," she said softly.

"I c-can't be here when he c-comes back," I sniffed. "I just c-can't."

"I know, Kaley," she sighed, letting go of my hand and standing up. "I know. Now go to sleep. We'll figure this out tomorrow." She walked over to the door and turned off the light, leaving me to the darkness and my thoughts. But, for the first time that night, my thoughts were clear and my mind was made. I knew what I had to do.

* * *

**Darren's POV **

I couldn't take it anymore. Kaley wouldn't pick up her phone or answer any of my texts.

_Is she okay?_ I began to worry._ Did something happen to her? Or did I do something wrong? Why won't she answer me? _

I couldn't even ask Chris about this because he was gone to visit his family and that meant that he would be phone-free for a while as he usually locked his phone in his drawer from the second he got there until he left so that he would be more focused on his family.

I even caved and tried texting Leah, but to no avail!

_What's going on?!_ I exclaimed. _Why won't anyone answer me? _

My phone suddenly buzzed and I quickly checked the Caller ID. It was one of those Celebrity Gossip sites again, most likely calling to ask about me and Kaley again. But I couldn't answer their questions until I talked to Kaley first.

And that was exactly why I was now pulling up in a cab in front of her apartment building. I knew that she wasn't expecting me until tomorrow, but something just felt wrong, so I had to come a day early to see her, to make sure that everything was okay.

I quickly glanced at my watch. It was close to seven. They'd probably be having supper by now.

I paid the cab driver and got out, quickly making my way into the building and up the stairs to their floor. I stopped in front of their door and took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Coming!" a voice, Leah's, called. A couple of seconds later, the door open to reveal her. Surprise flashed across her face but was quickly replaced with anger.

"What the heck do you want?" she snapped, startling me.

"Um, to see Kaley?" I replied cautiously.

"You seriously think that you can just show up here after everything that you've done to her?!" she exclaimed. "I really thought that you were different, but you're just like all of those other stuck up, self absorbed, heartless jerks that you read about in magazines!"

"What?" I exclaimed. "I didn't do anything to Kaley!"

A sudden, sharp pain cracked across my cheek.

"Take your stupid lies and your stupid face and leave!" she hissed. "And if you ever show your stupid face here again, I'll make you wish that you hadn't!"

And with that, she promptly slammed the door shut in my face, leaving me standing stunned and alone in the middle of the hallway.

Slowly, I brought my hand up and lightly cupped it over my cheek.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, blinking with shock. She slapped me. She freaking _slapped _me!

What the heck was going on?!

"_Leah_!" I called out, pounding hard on the door. The door flew open and I was just able to catch Leah's hand before she was able to hit me again.

"What the heck did I do to make you so mad at me?" I demanded, not letting go of her hand.

"Let go of me!" she snapped, trying to pull her hand out of my grasp.

"No, not until you tell me what's going on!" I argued. She stopped struggling and glared at me darkly.

"What's going on?" she spat. "As if you didn't know! How long were you planning on stringing Kaley along while you carried on with your secret relationship with the devil!"

"My _what_?" I exclaimed, thoroughly confused. "What secret relationship? The only relationship I'm in is with Kaley!"

"With your freaking girlfriend, Peterson!" Leah growled. "That's who! You've been back together with her since you left here! You know you really had us all going. We really believed that you really cared about Kaley but I guess that we were wrong."

"Back together with Vanessa?" I blinked with surprise. "Why the heck would I get back together with her?"

"Oh, don't lie to me, Darren!" Leah snapped. "Everyone knows. It's all over the Internet. Your secret relationship with your ex is exposed. I'm surprised that she didn't tell you the good news, since she was the one who confirmed it."

"What?" I gasped. "Where does it say that? Show me!"

Leah frowned at my reaction and was about to argue, but instead, she just rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone, quickly typing something in before passing it to me. I quickly read through the article, getting more and more angry as I read. If the phone had of been mine, I would have thrown it away in anger.

"I don't know what the crap they're going on about here, but Vanessa and I are _not _back together, nor will we ever be!" I said, handing her back her phone.

"But the picture-" she started to argue.

"Okay, yes, she kissed me!" I sighed. "But I pushed her away the second after she did that! She caught me off guard, otherwise I would have stopped her before she could have done it in the first place!"

"But you were out for dinner..." Leah persisted.

"Yes," I sighed again. "Vanessa called me earlier that day and said that she wanted to apologize for her actions and asked if we could meet up so she could say it to me personally, as well as return some of my things. Dinner time was the only time that she was free to meet, so we agreed that we would meet for dinner. Which to her means a fancy restaurant like _Michael's_. I just went along with it because she said that she wanted to apologize and I believed her. I didn't want there to be any bad blood between us. And because I knew that the paparazzi would get the wrong idea if they saw us together, I asked for a booth away from the windows. The evening went well and Vanessa apologized and everything. But then, after dinner, when we were walking to her car to get my stuff, she admitted that she still had feelings for me and then she kissed me. But I pushed her away and told her no because I was with Kaley and she was the only one that I ever wanted to be with."

"But the article-" Leah started.

"Is a lie," I cut her off. "I've said it before and I'll say it again. Don't believe everything that you read. Did you not notice how that article was completely one sided? That's because I had _no_ knowledge of it. Actually, I can almost bet that this was all Vanessa's doing. She just can't get it through her head that I'm in love with someone else... What?"

Leah was looking at me with an odd, wide-eyed expression.

"What did you just say?" she asked softly.

"I said that she just can't get it through her head that I'm in love with someone else," I repeated slowly. It took me a second to realize what had caught her attention.

"I'm in love with Kaley," I stated firmly. "I'm in love with her and only her and no one else."

"You love Kaley," she replied softly in a kind of awed voice.

"I do," I nodded. "I was going to tell her this weekend. I wanted it to be romantic, but I don't care anymore. I can't have her thinking the same thing that you did. I need to tell her what really happened and how much I love her. Please, can you let me in so I can see her?"

Leah frowned suddenly, giving me a very sorrowful and regretful look.

"I'm sorry, Darren," she said. "But you're too late. She's gone."

"Gone?" I frowned. "Gone where?"

"To the airport," she replied softly. "Kaley couldn't bear to be here when you got back so she's going back to Toronto. Her flight leaves in an hour."

* * *

_A/N: And bring on the angsty hate reviews :p I'm sorry, but just so you know, this was a plot point planned out wayyyyy in advance, so please don't kill me! I cannot wait for the next chapter :) It's one that I've been looking forward to writing for a long time :)_

_And now onto the review responses!_

**_ItsTheBlazer1105_**_: Have you been reading my story notes or something? Or was this just a predictable plot point? :p Either way, I hope that you don't hate me too much for this! _

**_nomorecandles:_**_Yeah, I'm mean like that, aren't I? :p And why thank you :) I thought they were fun :p _

**_Liveforblueandredties:_**_Yes, I will be working more on this story this coming week, so be prepared for more of their story to be unfolded soon in the spin off :)_

**_drobrien:_**_Because I'm evil? And it's fun? :p Sorry, I just can't help it! And you're quite welcome :) I love answer questions :) And oh, you caught that? Wait till you see what's going on there in If They Only Knew :p Fun stuff hehe And omg I love your closet comment! Hilarious! Me and "Leah" died laughing over that! :p I'm glad that I'm keeping you hooked :D_

**_CWMFan:_**_ They will be coming soon. I'm planning on working on the spin off this week, so expect chapters on there soon :) And wow, I don't think I'd go that far, but I love your enthusiasm :)_

**_Charleygyrl:_**_Why do you have a feeling indeed? Hmmmm what really happens behind closed doors, eh? Or should I say, behind closed shower curtains ;p_

**_Penelope Elizabeth Anne Snape:_**_Saying goodbye is always sad :( But it had to happen. And she knows them because I do :p I really did get a 96 in that class :p And hmmm did you now? I wonder what gave you that idea... ;p Ahhh wouldn't that be nice? But that would make things too easy and the story less dramatic! :p Sorry if the gift wasn't what you thought it would be. It was just a nice tip for Steven because Darren's just so sweet like that :p_

**_SkittlesPanda:_**_What indeed just happened. And I bet you're thinking that right now again too. _

**_jennanderton87:_**_Thank you :) And now I've left you hanging yet again with an even bigger cliffhanger! I'm so evil :p_

**_Guest:_**_ Hello new reader! Thank you for joining us here! I'm so glad that you like the story :) Sorry for the long wait for the update, but I'm back now and raring to go! :) And I think you might be right. There might be something going on there ;p If you haven't already, you should check out the spin off to this story that focuses more on Leah and Chris :) _

**_Guest:_**_Not sure if you're the same one from above, but, either way, your wish is my command! Hope you enjoyed it! :)_

_I can't wait to see all of your responses! :)_


	48. Chapter 48: Leaving On A Jet Plane

_A/N: HELLO EVERYONE! I am extremely sorry about how late this is an honestly I'm kicking my butt right now because I had wanted to have this updated on the anniversary of the day that I first posted this story, which was on May 28, 2012, but unfortunately it is now passed midnight and I have missed the deadline :'(_

_ One year has passed since I started writing this story and I would like to sincerely thank all of you who have stuck with this and me even though I can be sporadic with my updating and I leave you guys hanging with terrible cliffhangers. But I have been able to entertain you and send you on emotional roller coasters all year and I am so thankful and humbled that you have stuck with me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Without you guys, this would not be the story that it is today. _

_Thank you to all of the followers and favouriters, old and new, such as **KKlever**, **DarrenCrissLvr**, **Jjimene5**, **cruegs12**, and **GleekDancer**. Thank you for choosing to join our family. Much love goes out to all of you. And I mean ALL of you for your continual love and support. You guys will never know how much you all mean to me, so thank you._

_**Big news!** This story is almost over! We are a mere TWO chapters away from the end! That's right! TWO! But don't you fret or frown! There is a sequel! And I have a little **contest** planned for the upcoming sequel. What I want you guys to do is try to guess what the next book is going to be called. Here are two hints:_

_1) It has four words, just like **If You Only Knew** does._

_2) Like **If You Only**** Knew**, it poses a kind of statement. I think that it is very comparable to IYOK's title._

_Now what is the prize of said contest? Well I'm glad you asked! Because the end of this story is so near, the winner of the title contest will receive an advanced copy of the first chapter of the sequel. Now trust me, once you've read the final chapter, you will want this chapter right away, so this is a worthy prize. So what you can do to enter is either tweet your answer to me at **11Cassaroo11** or post in the comments here. If you're right, you will get a DM from me in which we will work out how to get this chapter to you. _

_If no one has guessed the correct title by the time of final chapter posting, I may give out more hints via my twitter. More than one submission is allowed, but let's not go crazy here people :p __I wish you all the best luck in this contest and I hope that some of you are able to guess it! I'm very excited for it! :)_

_And now, without further ado, the moment that you've all been waiting for, Chapter 48! Enjoy! :)_

* * *

Chapter 48 ~ Leaving On A Jet Plane  


**Kaley's POV**

Waking up Friday morning all I wanted was for everything that had happened to have just been a terribly horrible dream. But the fact that I had a pounding headache due to an obvious hangover was like a constant reminder that it wasn't a dream. It all really happened.

But through all the haziness of my hangover, one thought stood out in my mind.

_I need to leave,_ I confirmed as I quickly struggled to pull myself out of bed. I couldn't stay here. I couldn't be here when Darren came back. If I stayed then he'd be able to win me over with his adorable charm. But I didn't want to be won over. I felt so mad and hurt. I'd never felt anything so painful before. It was like as if my heart had been shattered. I loved Darren with all of my heart and he broke every single piece of it.

I blindly stumbled over to my dresser, furiously wiping at the tears that were starting to form in my eyes.

_No! I can't cry over him anymore!_ I scolded myself, pulling open the drawers and taking out random shirts. I didn't need to take much with me. My parents still had some of my stuff at their place and I'd be able to come back once Darren forgot about me.

_That won't take long,_ I thought bitterly as I threw another couple of shirts onto the bed. I added a couple of jeans to the mix and then went searching for a sweater. There was one specific one that I was looking for, one that I always took comfort in. It was a plain, purple zip up hoodie. I don't know why, but I just really loved that sweater.

I spotted it hanging on the back of my computer chair, so I quickly went over and picked it up, unveiling a shirt beneath it. Darren's Michigan shirt.

I slowly picked up the shirt and held it in my hands and just stared at it. I could feel the anger and hatred boiling inside of me as I stared at it. As the fabric started to clench between my fists, I had to wonder how quickly I had gone from loving this shirt to hating it. Not wanting to look at it anymore, I threw it against the wall in the far corner of the room.

"Kaley?" Leah's voice suddenly spoke up from behind me. I turned around to find her standing in my doorway with a surprised and concerned expression on her face. She quickly looked from me to the shirt then back to me again.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

And that did it. I started to break down in tears, collapsing onto my bed as I buried my face in my hands.

"How could he do this to me?" I bawled, not caring that I was crying over him even though I had said that I wasn't going to. I just didn't care anymore.

"Oh Kaley," Leah sighed softly, coming over to sit beside me. She rubbed small, comforting circles into my back as she tried to calm me. "Men are stupid. They don't think before they do things. And they don't care as deeply as we do. They're just a bunch of pigs! We don't need men like that! _You_ don't need a man like that! You don't need Darren! Honestly, we should have seen this coming since day one! Remember how rude he was to you? It was only a matter of time before that jerk in him showed its ugly head again! You're so much better than that, Kaley! You're so much better than _him_!"

"You're right," I sniffed, lifting my head up as I wiped the tears away. "I don't need him. Screw Darren Criss! I'm done with him!"

"Good for you!" Leah applauded with a smile. Then she looked at the mess of clothes that we were sitting on. "What are you doing with all of these?"

Oh right. My plan.

"I'm leaving," I told her, standing up and moving out into the hallway.

"You're what?" Leah exclaimed, following me as I went to the hallway closet to find a big enough backpack.

"I just can't face Darren right now," I explained, grabbing a suitably sized bag before returning to my room with it. "I'm not that strong. He hurt me, Leah. And that's not something that I can instantly bounce back from. He's coming home tomorrow morning. So I'm leaving tonight."

"Please, don't go!" Leah argued. "We don't have to let him in. You don't have to see him. You don't have to leave."

"Yes, I do," I sighed as I slowly started to put the clothes into the bag. "Everything here just screams of Darren right now and I don't need that. I look at my bed and I see us there cuddling. I look at my computer and I think of all the pictures of us together online. Or worse, I think of those new ones with Vanessa. Even looking at my clothes I see him!" I pointed over at Darren's shirt lying discarded in the corner.

"I just need to get away from all of it for a little while, get him out of my system," I sighed. "I'm afraid that if I stay and I see him again, that I'll just break and go running back to him. I love him so much that I would. I wouldn't be able to help myself. So yes, I need to leave because I need time to forget about him and to make my heart stop loving him. And I don't know how to do that yet."

There they were again. The tears.

"Oh, Kaley," Leah said softly, pulling me into her arms and holding me tightly. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be okay. We're gonna get through this. Listen to me. When you get back, we're going to pig out on ice cream and sing a bunch of _Taylor Swift_ songs and draw mustaches and unibrows on our ex's faces, alright? Actually, scratch that. We're having ice cream now."

"Alright," I sniffed, giggling a little. Leah always knew how to cheer me up. And ice cream was always a good place to start.

* * *

After about three bowls of pistachio ice cream and multiple doses of Advil to soothe my aching head, my mind was still made up.

"I need this time away," I explained to Leah as I finished packing. "I think the separation from New York itself will be a good thing. I'm a small town girl. Maybe the big city is too much for me."

"You're not thinking clearly, Kales," Leah sighed. "Yes, go take your time away, but never think that this is too much for you. You love it here, Kaley. This is home now. You belong here. We both do."

"Maybe," I shrugged. "But not right now." I picked up my bag and my laptop carrying case and, after doing one final sweep of my room, decided that I had everything that I'd need for the time being.

"Be good, Leah," I attempted a smile. "No wild parties while I'm gone, okay? And apologize to Chris for me, okay? I wish I could have seen him again before I left, but I'm sure that I'll see him again. I know you're not gonna let him slip through your fingers that easily."

"It's going to be okay," Leah said, embracing me. "You're going to find a guy that treats you the way that you deserve to be treated."

"We both will," I whispered, hugging her tighter.

"Kaley..." Leah started to say, taking a step away from me and taking a deep breath. "I have something that I should tell you..."

"What?" I asked, looking into her eyes with concern. I could see that there was something weighing heavily on her mind, but she was conflicted about it.

"I-" she started to say, but then suddenly shook her head and smiled. "Never mind. It's nothing. We can talk about it when you get back, when you're feeling better."

"Are you sure?" I persisted.

"Yeah, it's fine," she smiled, hugging me again. "You just focus on relaxing and clearing your mind and your heart so that you can start over again. It's like opening up a new word document, starting a new story."

I frowned slightly at this comment.

_A new story?_ I thought bitterly. _I haven't even written one to begin with! Maybe writing just isn't the way to go for me... _

"Hey! Hey now!" Leah snapped. "I see that look! No going to that dark place, Kaley! You are stronger than this and you are stronger than him. Whenever you think about him, I want to picture you slapping him across the face!"

That brought a small smile to my lips.

"There's my girl," Leah smiled. "You take care of yourself, okay? Call me when you land."

"I will," I promised, giving her one last tight hug. "And you too. I'll see you in a couple of weeks."

And with that, I turned and walked out the door, not totally sure if I would ever return there again.

* * *

The airport was busier than I expected it to be, but then again, it was a Friday night. A lot of people could be flying out of town for the weekend, maybe on a business trip, or maybe just to visit family.

I wonder what people thought when they saw me, a single girl carrying only a backpack, a purse, and a laptop bag. Would they think that I was a college student flying home to see my family for the weekend? Or maybe a girl traveling the world, packing lightly, not needing any of the man-made splendors of the world because she was going to see the natural splendors of the world? Would they see how heart-brokenly shattered I felt? Or would they only see the calm front that I pushed forward?

My phone buzzed in my pocket again. Upon pulling it out, I found that it was Darren. Again.

"Leave me alone!" I whispered furiously at my phone, turning it off completely. I wouldn't need it until I landed anyways. I quickly checked the time on it before it completely shut down. It was about seven thirty now. Leah would probably be having dinner, alone. I felt bad about leaving her alone there, but I just couldn't stay. I needed to get out of there.

Passing through customs had been a breeze and now all I had to do was wait for the plane to arrive so that I could board.

_And go home,_ I thought to myself as I window shopped on my way to the waiting section. I spotted a cafeteria area and decided that I might as well grab a bite to eat. I wasn't super hungry so I decided to just grab a muffin and a drink from _Starbuck's_, which actually may not have been the smartest move because as I sat at a table picking at it, I was reminded of the muffins and coffee that we had had in Chris and Darren's hotel room, the morning after Darren and I officially started dating.

"I think I've lost my appetite," I mumbled to myself, pushing the uneaten muffin away. I instead resigned myself to sitting back and sipping my chai tea latte as I watched the people around me. I saw a couple of teenage girls a couple of tables away chatting animatedly amongst themselves. Did they know who Darren Criss was? Or worse, did they know who _I_ was? What if someone recognized me and asked me questions about our relationship? What would I say? Would I break down crying again?

_No,_ I decided firmly. _I'm not going to be weak._

"Jess said that she saw him running through the airport, screaming for her," one of the girl's voices floated over to my table. I turned my attention more fully on them and slightly eavesdropped on their conversation.

"Apparently three security guards had to come and restrain him," the girl, a young brunette continued. "But he just kept yelling, "I have to find her! I have to stop her!" Like how crazy is that?"

"I think it's adorable!" one of the other girls, a blonde, objected.

"I think it's kind of stalkerish," a redhead remarked rather snobbishly. "I mean, he followed her to an airport to stop her from leaving? Can you say desperate much?"

"I prefer to think of it as romantic," the blonde pouted.

"What if he was like a psychopath or something and this girl finally escaped and now he's trying to catch her and take her back to his lair?" the brunette pitched in, earning her odd looks from her friends.

"Amy, you have one sick, twisted mind," the redhead sneered. "Have they even identified the guy?"

"Jess said that it's hard to see," the brunette, Amy, replied, looking down at her phone. "There's a lot of people there watching, but there's some speculation as to who he is."

"Who?" the blonde asked eagerly.

"I don't know," Amy shrugged. "Jess won't tell me. She said that she wanted to be her in person when she said it- Oh my gosh! She knows who it is! She'd better hurry up and get here now!"

"Do you think he's a celebrity?" the blonde asked excitedly, making me tense up slightly.

"Or maybe an escaped convict," the redhead shrugged. I couldn't help but snort at the girl's comment. She always had a negative answer for every statement.

The redhead suddenly turned sharply to glare at me.

_And that's my cue to leave,_ I decided, standing up and moving over towards the garbage to dump my empty cup. I passed another brunette on my way, whom I assumed must have been Jess due to the sudden screaming of her name behind me.

I wasn't even ten feet away when they started screaming again. I chanced a glance back to see them all huddled around Jess' phone, looking at something.

_Must be the guy they caught,_ I guessed, slightly disappointed that I hadn't stayed longer to find out who it was. _Oh well. I'm sure that it'll be on the news somewhere or something._

* * *

**Darren's POV**

"Please, you don't understand! I have to get through there!"

These security guards were as stubborn as a brick wall. After speeding through traffic to reach the airport in just over a half an hour, I was now being delayed by heartless thugs who just couldn't understand why it was so important for me to get through.

"If you want through, you buy a ticket and wait in line like everyone else," one of the security officers said sternly. He looked rather intimidating staring down at me with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Look, Officer-" I squinted my eyes to read his name tag. "Andrews. I don't have time to wait in line! The flight to Toronto leaves in like half an hour and I have to get there before it leaves!"

"Well, then you should have gotten here earlier," he replied, still not budging an inch.

"I didn't _know_ that I'd have to come here earlier!" I exclaimed. This guy made me want to rip my hair out. "Look, there's this girl-"

"Of course there is," Officer Andrews cut in. "And there's one right there and there and there. And oh look. There's even one there. At the back of the line."

"But she's not just any girl!" I argued. "She's-"

"Let me guess," he cut me off again. "She's the love of your life."

"Yes!" I exclaimed, feeling like I might be starting to make a break through here. "And I have to stop her from getting on that plane or else-"

"Or else what?" he scoffed. "You might die? There will be more girls. You're young. You're only what? Twenty-something? You'll meet other girls."

"But I don't want other girls!" I could feel my voice starting to rise. "I want her! Kaley! Kaley Grant! The girl who I have fallen in love with and I don't think that I could live without!"

"But she's not here right now," Officer Andrews pointed out. "And you're still alive."

"That's not what I meant!" I huffed. "It's not a physical death, but more like an emotional, mental death. I _need_ her in my life. She's my missing puzzle piece."

"How sweet," he replied in a monotone voice. "Well you can _find _her once you make it through the line like everyone else."

"Ok, I didn't want to have to play this card, but I'm Darren Criss," I told him. "Isn't there something you can do to help me bypass this line?"

"I'm Lyon Andrews," he replied. "And no, there isn't. Now get to the back of the line before I have you forcibly removed."

I looked back at the line behind me. I didn't have time to wait in line. By the time I'd get through, Kaley would be gone.

"Alright," I sighed, starting to turn away. "I'm sorry to have wasted your- Hey! What's that guy doing?"

The second that the man turned away, I booked it past him, tearing through the metal detector, which went off almost instantly, and headed straight for the waiting sections, quickly glancing at the signs as I ran.

"Toronto. Toronto. Where are you, Toronto," I mumbled under my breath as my eyes slid over the signs.

And then I spotted it. Flight to Toronto, Gate A29.

_I'm going to make it!_ I cheered internally as I headed towards the A section. _I'm going to make it!_

I've never been body slammed into the ground before. And honestly? I wouldn't wish that feeling on my worst enemy. Having the wind completely knocked out of your lungs as your body slams into the floor. Add the weight of a forty-something year old sitting on your back, pinning you down, and it makes for a _very _unpleasant experience.

"Please, let me go!" I begged once I regained the ability to breathe again. "I have to find her! I have to stop her! Please!"

The weight on my back suddenly lifted, but then so was I. Rough hands grabbed my arms, trying to restrain me, but I couldn't stop fighting. I _had_ to find Kaley! I had to stop her!

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down," one of the men was saying to me, but everything just seemed to be blurring around me. This couldn't be happening. The good guy always made it. He always stopped the girl from leaving. I couldn't let Kaley leave. I just couldn't.

"_Kaley_!" I screamed, feeling tears starting to stream down my cheeks. "Please! Don't go! _Kaley_, _I __**need **__you_!"

"Ok, we need to get this guy out of here," I heard one of the men say. "He's causing a scene. Let's get him into one of the rooms." And then suddenly the voices were talking to me again.

"Sir, do we need to restrain you, or will you come with us willingly?" an older man was asking me.

"Please," I whispered, hiccuping through the tears. "I need to find Kaley. I have to stop her from leaving. I need to stop her."

"Let's go have a chat in private and see if we can sort all of this out, okay?" the man said, suddenly motioning to the men holding me. They started to turn me, away from the A section, away from Kaley.

"_No_!" I suddenly screamed, trying to break from their hold again. "No, she's so close! I can't- I need- Please don't-"

"Cuff him," the older man ordered, and suddenly my arms were being forced behind me and shoved into cold, metal bracelets.

"Please," I begged as they started to turn me away again. "Please."

I looked back one last time towards the A section, towards Gate A29, towards the love of my life and whispered one more plea before they forced me away.

"Kaley, please don't go."

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

The plane to Toronto actually wasn't that big. Then again, it's not that long of a flight. The seats were in rows of twos by threes by twos. I was seated in one of the outside twos and was lucky enough to snag the window seat, which was my favourite spot. I loved to watch the take offs and landings, to watch the ground disappear from sight and then reappear again. And I loved seeing the clouds. It felt like one of the most peaceful places to ever be, flying above the clouds. They looked so soft and warm and just plain beautiful. One of the many natural wonders of the world.

My dad told me once that the first time that I ever flew on a plane, which was when I was really young, I looked out the window at the clouds and asked, "Are we going to see God up here?" I think that that memory has definitely played a big role in why I love clouds so much.

I quickly settled down into my seat, stowing my backpack under the seat in front of mine as I don't like being separated from it. I slid my laptop down on top of it and my purse on the floor by my feet.

_I hope that I have a nice neighbour,_ I thought as I glanced over at the empty seat beside me. Across the aisle from me was an elderly couple settling into their seats. The older gentleman was struggling to get his small suitcase into the overhead storage compartment, so I quickly got to my feet and helped him slide it into the compartment.

"Thank you, young lady," he smiled at me. His eyes squinted slightly as he did so, in an adorably old person charming way. I couldn't help but smile back.

"Say, you look familiar," the old woman in the seat, whom I assumed was his wife, commented. The smile fell from my face.

"I must have one of those faces," I shrugged, moving back to my seat. I did not need anyone recognizing me right now.

To further distance myself from them, I pulled my headphones out to listen to some music. I needed to escape. Escape from everything. Ironically, the song _Before He Cheats _by _Carrie Underwood_ came on.

_I said I needed to __**get away**__, not be reminded of what I'm leaving!_ I thought unhappily as I quickly changed the song.

The next song, though totally right to how I was feeling, helped even less.

_It's not right_

_But it's okay_

_I'm gonna make it anyway_

_Pack your bags up and leave_

_Don't you dare come running back to me_

_It's not right_

_But it's okay_

_I'm gonna make it anyway_

_Close the door behind you_

_Leave your key_

_I'd rather be alone_

_Than unhappy _

What made it even worse was that it was the _Glee_ version, in which Darren was singing the song.

_Well, I did what you said, Darren,_ I mentally lashed at him. _I packed up my bags and left. So don't you dare come running back to me. Because I won't be there._

Rather than changing the song, I just let it keep playing. I didn't even realize that I had started crying until I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder, which startled me.

"Kleenex, darling?" the old woman from the seat across from mine offered.

"Thank you," I whispered, accepting the tissue from her.

"Bad day?" she asked.

"You could say that," I laughed halfheartedly.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked gently.

"Not really," I replied softly. "It's just a problem I have with choosing the wrong guys."

"Ahh, the love life," she smiled sweetly. "We've all had our fair share of those. But it'll be okay. Gerald, my husband there, and I had problems when we were dating, but we've always found ways to work things out. If it's meant to be, it will be."

"Thanks," I smiled at her. "That's really sweet. I'm glad that things worked out for you, ummm..."

"Marie," she filled in for me. "Marie Johnson. And it's no problem, my dear. I have to get back to my seat now, but if you want to talk any more during the flight, I'm just a seat away."

"Thank you, Marie," I replied, feeling better than I had all evening. "I'm Kaley, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Kaley," she said as she stood up. "Don't worry. You're not alone."

That sent another pang through my heart as it reminded me of Darren's song.

_Baby, you're not alone_

_'Cause you're here with me_

_And nothing's ever gonna bring us down_

_'Cause nothing can keep me from lovin' you_

_And you know it's true_

_It don't matter what'll come to be_

_Our love is all we need to make it through..._

_But you're not here with me,_ I thought sadly as I turned my attention back out on the moving employees on the ground. _And I don't think that we're going to make it through..._

And of course, just thinking about Darren again somehow made my iPod decide to play another one of his originals, _Sami_. It's ironic, because I used to picture Darren singing this song to me. My name fit perfectly into the song. Kaley. Kaley.

_That's funny,_ I thought as I listened to the song. _It almost sounds like he is saying Kaley. I can literally hear Darren's voice saying my name... Wait a second..._

I slowly pulled my earphones out, but I could still hear his voice calling out my name.

"Kaley?" that was definitely his voice. I peeked up over the top of the seats in front of me, and sure enough, there he was, standing in the aisle a few rows away, his eyes frantically searching the plane.

"Darren?" I said softly, almost in disbelief. How the heck did he get here?

It was almost as if he heard my voice because suddenly his eyes fell on mine.

"Kaley," his voice sounded breathless as he said my name, his eyes welling up with tears. We stayed there, frozen for a moment, just looking at each other.

And then he started to move towards.

And my heart started to race.

What was he doing here? How did he get here? Why was he here? But before I could ponder more questions, he was suddenly standing before me, reaching out to embrace me.

"Kaley, I-" he started to say, but I quickly pushed him away.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest, not letting him touch me.

"Kaley, I came to find you," he said, his eyes filling with hurt. "I know what you're thinking, but Kaley you've got to believe me when I tell you that I didn't cheat on you." He gently reached out and tried to place his hand on my shoulder.

"Right, tell that to the hundreds of photos of you all over your _ex_!" I snapped, shrugging his hand off.

"Kaley, none of those are real!" he argued. "Well, they are real, but they're not! She tricked me, Kaley! I didn't know that she was going to kiss me!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you didn't," I retorted. "Was she the something that came up? Blow me off so that you can go blow her?"

"Kaley!" Darren exclaimed, slightly alarmed. Frankly, I was a little alarmed with myself too. I wasn't really sure where all of this was coming from, but I was going to use this fuel and let the fire burn.

"I never was good enough for you, was I, Darren?" I demanded. "I mean, when you have so many beautiful women to chose from in LA, why choose a nobody like me?"

"Kaley! Look at me! Look at where I am!" Darren said, grabbing my hands. "Do you think if I didn't care, if I didn't want you, if I didn't _choose_ you, that I'd even be here right now? Kaley, I ran through an airport to find you! I nearly got _arrested _to find you! To stop you, to beg you not to leave. Kaley, I can't live without you in my life! You mean _everything_ to me!"

"But Vanessa-" I started to argue, though I knew that I was starting to lose this battle.

"Vanessa is nothing to me," he stated firmly. "She asked me out to dinner seemingly to apologize but then she revealed her true motives. She told me that she still loved me and that she wanted to get back together with me. But I told her that I wouldn't, no, I _couldn't _get back together with her because I had already fallen in love with someone else."

He paused for a moment to fully let what he had just said sink in. I felt my eyes go wide as my breath caught in my throat. Darren noticed my reaction and smiled as he looked deep into my eyes and said the words that I never thought I'd hear him say.

"I love you, Kaley."

* * *

**Darren's POV**

"But I told her that I wouldn't, no, I _couldn't _get back together with her because I had already fallen in love with someone else."

I could see the moment that my words fully sunk in because Kaley's eyes grew a little wider and her jaw dropped a little lower. And then I finally knew that it was time to say what I had wanted to tell her for so long.

"I love you, Kaley," I whispered softly, but clearly, pouring my entire heart into those four words.

"Aww, isn't that just so sweet!" a voice suddenly declared from behind me. Puzzled, I looked over my shoulder to see an elderly couple watching us.

"Gerald," the woman said to the man. "Do you remember when you used to talk to me like that?"

"I sure do, Marie," the old man, Gerald smiled. "And remember when you used to sing to me every night in the park."

"How could I forget?" Marie sighed. "And remember when-"

"I'm sorry," I cut in. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I'm kind of trying to tell the woman I love how hopelessly head-over-heels in love with her I am and why she has to stay with me and not go back to Toronto."

"Oh, sorry, sweetheart," Marie blushed. "Well then, carry on. She deserves a sweet man like you."

Her comment kind of puzzled me, but I quickly brushed it off as I took a deep breath and turned back to look at Kaley again, ready to continue on with why she couldn't leave me. But the words never left my mouth.

Of all the kisses that we'd ever had, I don't think that we'd ever had one as passionate as this one. Her lips pressed desperately against mine like as if she were afraid I would disappear if we ever parted. Her hands were laced through my hair pulling me closer and I quickly brought mine to rest on the back of her head and her lower back, pulling her closer to me as well, because I certainly never wanted to let her go either.

We finally did have to break apart because we unfortunately need this thing called oxygen. We didn't completely separate though because she instantly leaned her forehead against mine, making our faces so close that our noses just barely brushed. Her eyes opened and looked up at mine as a smile spread across her lips.

"I love you too," she whispered softly, breathlessly. "I always have."

* * *

**Kaley's POV**

"You really ran through the airport to stop me," I giggled. "That is so cheesy!" We were walking back through the airport now, my backpack hanging loosely off one of his shoulders as another was curled protectively around me.

Darren reacted to my comment with by giving me a hurt, offended look, furrowing those adorably thick eyebrows into a pout.

"No, seriously!" I laughed. "Think about it! _All_ of the cheesy rom-coms have the guy running through the airport to stop the girl that he loves from leaving. This is just so unreal!"

"Well, I guess that you can add our story to that list of cheesy rom-com moments then," he grinned, flashing me a charming smile.

_Our story, _I couldn't help but smile at the thought of it. _Our story..._

"That's it!" I exclaimed, my eyes suddenly widening with excitement. "I've got it!"

"What's it?" he asked, his brows furrowing again, but this time in confusion. "You've got what?"

I smiled as I kissed him again.

"I finally know what to write about!" I beamed proudly.

"What?" he asked curiously, tilting his head adorably to the side slightly.

I couldn't help but smile even wider as I answered.

"Us."

* * *

_A/N: And happy feels time! Whew! That was quite the emotional roller coaster, wasn't it? But it was a lot of fun to write :)_

**_TheawesomeGayKidYouWantToBe _**_- I love you for reading this :) And yeah, I can be mean, but I can't help it :p It's so much fun and I love me some cliffhangers! :p_

**_harleyquinn2587_**_- Please forgive me? I know it's been another month but I'll do better! I promise! As for Vanessa... well, that's left to be seen :p_

**_alicegursk_**_- Why thank you :) I take pride in my intense chapters :p And I think that we all hate Vanessa_

**_Liveforblueandredties_**_- Did I worry you for a little there? :p And **If They Only Knew **will be updated soon. I just need my editor to go over the one that's done and the second one is almost done as well :) I intend on getting caught up before the first book ends. _

**_ffacowgirl89_**_- Do you feel better now? :p_

**_nomorecandles_**_- Sorry I didn't get this posted before your exam. I hope that it went well! I had intended on having this out much sooner, but sometimes life gets in the way :( And never apologize for rambling. I love the rambling :) I love hearing your thoughts and opinions :)_

**_drobrien_**_- Haha how's your feels now? :p Did I send you on a roller coaster again? I'm so glad you are loving this :) And it's okay, I can take the hate/love :p_

**_ItsTheBlazer1105_**_- It was something I'd had planned out practically since the beginning, but I hope I threw enough curve balls in there to keep you surprised :p_

**_Penelope Elizabeth Anne Snape_**_- I guess your question has already been answered. We are almost at the end, but the sequel is right around the corner as well :) Chreah will get some more focus in the sequel as well and love confession... well if you mean by Darren and Kaley then yes :) And did you catch Leah's near slip? Opps :p And yeah, time flies eh?_

**_KKlever_**_- Thank you :) I'm so glad that you like it! Thanks for joining the family! :p_

**_1GLEEK4_**_- Did you get worried there for a moment that Darren wouldn't make it? :p_

**_jennanderton78_**_- Haha it's almost like Run Joey Run :p And run he did. Possibly breaking a few laws along the way :p_

**_Charleygyrl_**_- Do I detect some feels going on here? How are your feels now? :p_

**_DarrenCrissLvr_**_- Haha thank you :) I'm glad that you're loving it! Did you predict what happened in this chapter too? Or did I throw you some curve balls in there? :p I hope that you enjoyed it! _

_Again guys, I cannot thank you for all the love and support that you guys have shown me over the past year. Thank you for choosing to invest your time and love in me :) _


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